Dominos
by hOtlilmofo
Summary: Stu Bennett can get any woman he wants. When Courtney becomes his valet, he sets his sights on her. But she isn't like all of the others. She knows she can handle him. With a closet full of skeletons, she's unwilling to let him get too close to her...even as their relationship changes. Can she resist the charm of the Superstar? Or will she just become another conquest?
1. Chapter 1

Dominos

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own Courtney. This never happened. This would be pretty good, though, at least I think so.

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**A/N: I've been working on this one for a few weeks. I promise this one is going to be a lot of fun. Hope you enjoy. Please leave a review and let me know what you think! :) XoXoXo**

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Courtney Kensington had no idea where the hell she was. Every single hallway that she found seemed to look exactly like the others, at this point. Being the new girl here, she didn't really want to ask for directions and look like a complete amateur. But she also didn't want to be late either.

"You look a little lost," a redhead spoke, approaching her.

"Is it that obvious?"

The redhead laughed and nodded. "Yeah. Who could blame you? I've been here for a while, and they still all look the same to me. It's like a maze back here. Anyway, I'm Natalie," she introduced herself.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Courtney." The two women shook hands.

"Wait! Courtney? So you're supposed to be Bad News Barrett's new valet, right?" she questioned.

"Guilty as charged."

"So, I'm assuming you're looking for Stu's locker room?"

"Yup."

"Alright. If you go down this hallway, swing your first left, and then, your second right, he should be down there."

"You're a lifesaver. Thank you so much!"

"Of course. I'll see you around, Courtney."

The brunette smiled. "Hopefully. Thanks again!" she spoke, before quickly following the directions she had been given.

Sure enough, within moments, Courtney was standing in front of a door with a sign reading BAD NEWS BARRETT. Courtney took a deep breath before finally knocking on the door.

Seconds later, the door opened. "What?" a very tall man with a British accent spoke.

"Uh…I'm Courtney, I'm—"

"Get in here, then," he spoke, abruptly cutting her off.

She walked inside, as he had moved out of her way. He quickly closed the door, as soon as she was in the room.

"I thought you were going to be late," he commented, though he didn't seem particularly friendly.

"So did I."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Well, Courtney, I'm Stu. Now you have to get changed," he told her, motioning to her outfit for the evening, which was hanging in a cubby.

"Alright."

Courtney walked over and grabbed the outfit. She walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind herself. She was relieved to be away from him already, as he wasn't particularly welcoming…or kind.

When Courtney emerged from the bathroom, she felt Stu's eyes burning on her, as if looking for something to criticize. He made her feel uncomfortable…like he didn't think she was good enough to be his valet. That was fine with her. She'd make sure she'd work twice as hard just to teach this guy a lesson.

Luckily, the black Saint Laurent Crustal Embellished Mesh and Crepe mini dress was quite flattering on her. He seemed disappointed that the dress looked so great on her. It hugged her body perfectly and complimented her figure…and also showed off a generous helping of her cleavage, which Stu's eyes clearly lingered on for an extra moment.

"Well…go put your shoes on," he directed.

"O-okay," she replied, walking over to the set of heels that had been set aside for her. She put the black Charlotte Olympia Octavia Suede and Mesh platform Sandals on, before turning to face Stu again. He twirled his finger around, motioning for her to spin around. She acquiesced, hating the feeling of his eyes watching her.

"Alright," he spoke. "You're going to be out there with me. You need to make sure you look good. I don't need you making me look bad."

"Is there something wrong with how I look?" she questioned, unsure of what the Superstar was trying to say.

"You look alright," he replied. "You have to make sure you look good all of the time…especially when we're out there," he explained.

"Alright."

"You'll be traveling with me and rooming with me."

Courtney nodded. "Okay."

"You have to learn my routine. I'm not your teacher or babysitter. You were hired to do a job. You have to make sure that you're on top of things. Understand?"

"I understand," she agreed. What Courtney was having trouble understanding was what exactly Stu's problem with her was. "Are you always this…intense?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Why? Do you have a problem?"

"N-no. Of course not. Sorry. You just seem…I don't know…not exactly friendly."

"Oh? So you came here to make friends? Because I came here to work."

"So did I."

"None of this translates to us being friends."

"I just figured that if we were going to be spending so much time together—"

"I'm not here to entertain you or be your friend," he cut her off.

"Okay…I just…didn't realize we were supposed to be complete strangers," she continued. She may have been new, but Courtney was already sick of his attitude.

"I'm Stu Bennett. Thirty-three years old. I'm the Intercontinental Champion. I live in Florida. And you're really getting on my nerves."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm Courtney—"

"I don't care."

"Well, I do. Like I was saying, I'm Courtney Kensington. I'm twenty-five. I live in Florida, as well. I'm not a big follower of wrestling, but here I am anyway."

"Good for you," he replied, brushing her off.

"I am," she defiantly replied, putting her hands on her hips.

He looked at her, as if he were criticizing everything about her in his mind. Courtney was no pushover. She was actually quite strong-willed and outspoken. She wouldn't normally behave so meekly, but she didn't want to step on any toes this early into this job. This Stu guy was really pissing her off, though.

"Do you have a problem?" he sharply quipped.

"You don't have to be so nasty, you know. I am a human being, too," Courtney finally spoke up.

He glared at her. "Excuse me?"

"You're being really nasty to me, and it isn't necessary," she replied, speaking slowly, as if to mock him.

Stu stepped right up to her. "Maybe you're misunderstanding something here. I'm the Superstar. I'm the wrestler. I have a lot of talent. People know me and like me. I like a lot of money. You're some pretty face that Stephanie found whose sole purpose here is to make me look good. I owe you nothing," he shot back.

"Maybe you shouldn't be such an ass," Courtney replied.

"Maybe you need to go to hair and makeup now," Stu spoke, his voice stern, as his eyes burned into hers.

"If I knew where the hell I was going, I would have already gone," she snapped.

"And I'm supposed to show you?"

"Uh yeah. If you don't, I'll end up lost, and you'll have to go out there alone. Make your choice."

He rolled his eyes. "I guess it's true what they say about models being bloody stupid."

"Excuse me? Did you just call me stupid?"

"Are you deaf, as well?"

"You're really walking a fine line," she warned him.

Stu rolled his eyes at her. "As are you." He turned and walked towards the door. He opened it. "Are you coming?"

Courtney scowled at him and shook her head, disgusted with him. She followed him out of the locker room. The Superstar's demeanor changed once they were in the hallway and around everyone else.

"Oh, Stu. You finally have your valet, I see," a female spoke approaching the pair.

"I do. Danielle, this is Courtney," he introduced.

"Hi. It's nice to finally meet you," Danielle spoke, the blonde giving her a smile. "Stu's been waiting for someone to find him an acceptable valet, and I guess you're it." Her voice sounded genuine, but she came off as a complete bitch. But the way she was eye-fucking Stu was absolutely nauseating to Courtney.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, too," she said, returning the smile. "I'm glad I could be the lucky one to help such a nice guy out."

Stu placed a hand on Courtney's shoulder. "Well, I've got to get this one to hair and makeup. We'll see you later, Danielle."

"Bye guys," the blonde spoke, as Stu led Courtney away from her.

"Wow. In public, you almost seem like you're not a complete douchebag. Go figure," she muttered, loud enough for the Englishman to hear.

"You need to watch your attitude," he replied, as he led her down a series of hallways.

"Once you watch yours, I'll be glad to watch mine."

"Alright. Doreen, I have my new valet here, and she needs some hair and makeup work. Can you take care of her?" Stu spoke, his voice sounding kind.

"Of course, I can. Courtney, it's so great to meet you. Take a seat here. I'll take care of your makeup, and Janine is going to do your hair," she sweetly spoke.

"Thank you," Courtney said, giving Doreen a genuine smile, before shooting a glare in Stu's direction.

"Stu, you got yourself quite a beautiful woman here," she said to the Intercontinental Champion.

"Yes, well, do the best you can with what you have," he spoke, eliciting an eyebrow raise from Doreen.

"I'm sure it'll be easy. I have an easy canvas to work with."

"Since she gets lost easily, I'm going to have to retrieve her. When should I come back?" he asked, ignoring the kind words being spoken about the brunette.

"Twenty minutes should be sufficient."

"Alright. See you soon," he said, before walking away.

"Can't wait," Courtney mumbled.

"Do you two not get along?" Doreen questioned, once he was out of earshot.

"Not exactly. It seems like he's nice to everyone, but he has a really bad attitude towards me," Courtney explained.

"Oh…that's odd. Stu is typically a really nice guy," Doreen told her.

"Apparently. It'd just be nice if he wasn't so nasty towards me."

"Do you need me to put him in his place?" Doreen offered.

"Nah. Thanks, but I'll be alright. I can handle myself, even against a brute like him," she said with a smile.


	2. Chapter 2

Dominos

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I only own Courtney…and this story.

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**A/N: Well, so far a positive response. A special thanks to my constant reviewer, JoMode, and another constant reviewer DenyingTheTruth I'm so excited to be posting this because I've been working on it for a couple of weeks. I promise, this one is going to be a lot of fun. Here's the next chapter...hope you all enjoy. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it :) Thanks! Love you guys! XoXoXo**

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"Alright. Are you ready?" Stu questioned, glaring at the brunette standing next to him, as the two were nearly ready to make their way out.

"Yes," Courtney simply replied.

Once Stu's music began blaring throughout the arena, the Superstar began heading out to the ramp, quickly followed by his new valet. The crowd had a very mixed reaction to the heel, as much of the crowd cheered for the Intercontinental Champion, though he still received many jeers from the WWE Universe.

The two took their time but eventually approached the ring and walked up the steel steps. Stu walked up first, and he held the middle rope up, while stepping on the bottom rope to allow Courtney to make her way into the ring. He followed behind her and grabbed a microphone.

While he was speaking, Courtney's eyes focused on the massive crowd that she was standing in front of. There were so many people here. She could only imagine how many people were watching from their homes. She couldn't lie, it was definitely intimidating to be out here, exposed to all of these people. The WWE was larger than life. And here she was, standing in the middle of the ring next to one of their douchebag champions. She wondered who was watching from the backstage area. That thought was pretty intimidating, too. There were legends who worked for this company…watching Stu deliver another short promo…watching her standing there next to him with a standing bitch look on her face. She heard her name and turned to the Intercontinental Champion and smiled mischievously, a smile he returned.

"Beautiful, Los Angeles? Isn't she?" he spoke, with a cocky smirk continuing to reside on his face. He dropped the microphone, as Fandango's music began playing.

Courtney stood next to Stu, as he handed her his championship title. She put it over her shoulder, as the pair watched the dancing duo of Fandango and Layla from the corner of the ring. "Don't embarrass me," Stu spoke, leaning over towards her slightly, speaking only loud enough for her to hear.

"Don't embarrass yourself, douchebag," she quipped back, raising an eyebrow at him. Courtney, then, turned and walked out of the ring to watch the match, still holding onto the legendary title.

She had to admit to herself, these Superstars were an incredibly good-looking bunch of men. And maybe, if he wasn't such an asshole, she would have found herself attracted to Stu. However, he was nothing but a bastard, and she didn't care very much for him. Hell, if she had a choice in the matter, Courtney would opt to not even work with him.

The match had begun. Layla had been cheering her on-screen boyfriend on…and Courtney knew that she had to counter that with cheering for the man she was valeting, who was currently on the losing end of the match.

Knowing that it was her job to be the devious heel, Courtney smirked and walked around to the other side of the ring, where Layla was arguing with the referee in an effort to distract him. Stu smirked at Courtney, as Layla didn't notice that there was someone behind her. She grabbed the English Diva by the ankles and yanked her down off of the apron, knocking her out, before she made her way back around to the other side of the ring, where she had been standing.

This distracted Fandango from his match, in order to allow Stu to prepare for the Bad News Bullhammer, turning his elbow pad inside out and pulling it back up his arm. When Fandango turned around, Stu perfectly executed his finisher, knocking the dancing Superstar out cold. He quickly pinned his opponent and gained the three-count, winning the match.

Courtney climbed back up the steel steps and ducked into the ring. She sauntered over to the victorious Superstar and pushed the ref out of the way, as he was about to hold Stu's arm up and declare him the winner. She took Stu's arm in hers and held it up. Moments later, Courtney handed his Intercontinental Title back over to him, which he proudly held up.

Fandango and Layla made their way back up the ramp, while Stu celebrated with Courtney inside of the ring.

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Back in the locker room, Stu was a sweaty mess. He seemed to ignore Courtney completely, as if she weren't even there. She was completely fine with that, as long as she wasn't dealing with him being an asshole to her. She checked her hair and makeup in the mirror. Everything was still in place. Courtney had to admit, she liked how classy she looked, in these clothes, with this hair and makeup. She felt like a completely different person than she was months before.

"I'm going to take a shower," Stu finally spoke. Courtney remained silent, opting to ignore him instead of engaging him in any type of conversation. "Care to join me?"

She scoffed. "You're disgusting."

"Let's be fair…we both know exactly why you're here…to entertain me."

"And I'd rather have my tits cut off than get into a shower with you," she spat, glaring at him. She may have been a little meeker earlier on in the evening, but she was finished trying to not step on his toes. He was a dick to her, and she had no problem dishing it right back to him. Courtney was not one to allow herself to be disrespected.

Stu laughed. "Hard to get. Very cute."

"It isn't hard to get. It's more like refusing to fuck a douchebag," she replied.

"That's fine. We'll have plenty more opportunities to shower together when we're sharing a hotel room."

"Ugh. You couldn't pay me enough."

"Your job is to keep my happy and looking good."

"I get paid to be your valet. Not your whore. Get it straight."

"They're pretty much the same thing."

"That's so weird. I must have missed something when I read my contract. I don't remember reading anything about your dick."

"You'll learn your place soon enough, sweetheart." With that, Stu made his way into the bathroom to shower.

Courtney sat on the couch, trying to grasp what just happened with Stu. He was definitely crossing a line acting like it was her job to screw around with him. In fact, with an attitude like his, even if she didn't already feel nauseated by his mere presence, he had absolutely no chance in hell when it came to getting inside of her pants.

However, Courtney was a little concerned about sharing a hotel room with Stu. She was sure that he would make it as uncomfortable as possible for her. And she really hoped that she wouldn't have to go to any of the higher ups to deal with this. The last thing she wanted to do was talk to them about what Stu was doing.

Truth be told, Courtney didn't want anyone to know who she really was. It would only cause everyone to gossip about her behind her back. She didn't need anyone knowing the real reason she was here. In fact, Courtney had only signed on with the company because it was the best financial option she had. Hell, truthfully, it was the only financial option she had. It was either this or start taking those clothes off again to make money. She had no interest in having that kind of life anymore. And she was very confident that the powers that be in the company would be terribly unhappy to find out that Stu was telling her any differently. But then again, she was avoiding those powers that be as much as she possibly could. Hence that blinking light on her cell phone that she kept trying to ignore. She grabbed her phone and pulled the notification bar down. She noted who was texting her. Courtney quickly swiped the message away. She didn't need to deal with that.

A few minutes had passed when the door to the bathroom had finally opened, and Stu had walked out with a towel around his waist. She had a sinking feeling, not really feeling like dealing with him again. He walked over to the couch that Courtney was sitting on and sat down next to her. She rolled her eyes.

"You know, Courtney, you're here to take care of me. And I have certain needs. And you're responsible for…satisfying those needs while you're here," he explained to her, placing a hand on her thigh and squeezing it.

Courtney grabbed his hand, pulled it off of her leg, and placed it in his own lap. "Stu, I can't help but notice that you have two hands. With your attitude, I'm sure you're more than used to using them," she shot at him.

"I see you've got jokes. Courtney, sweetheart, you have to learn to accept your place here," he told her.

"The only place I have when it comes to you is to be in your corner during your matches. Other than that, you have no right to comment on what you think my place is."

"That's what you keep telling yourself."

"You know, you're really pissing me off, Stu. Your attitude towards me is absolute shit. And now you've escalated to sexual harassment. Wow! This is such a busy day for you. You're a real piece of work."

"Trust me, you won't be calling it harassment soon enough, love."

"No, I, like the police, will call it assault and battery, once I beat the shit out of you," she spat back at him.

"Feisty. Not going to lie to you, doll, that is definitely a huge turn on for me."

"I don't understand what the hell your problem is. Do you have a mother? Because I doubt she'd be very proud to have a potential sexual predator for a son," Courtney spoke, raising her voice slightly at him.

He laughed bitterly. "Well, when it's your job to look good and take care of my needs…I don't think it's a problem."

"You must have a really, really small dick to be such a repulsive pig," Courtney told him, standing up. "You're absolutely disgusting." She stormed out of the locker room, slamming the door behind herself.


	3. Chapter 3

Dominos

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I only own Courtney. This may not be true, but if it was, it'd be extraordinarily entertaining.

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**A/N: I find this story to be so much fun writing. Granted, I have a lot of it written...just not typed up...I'm glad you're enjoying this. I appreciate reviews from my faves especially JoMode, DenyingTheTruth, and Jenni. You guys are awesome. JoMode is my girl 3 I love you guys so much. We may start getting a little raunchy, so I hope no one gets offended...though that's exactly why I rated it Mature. So...what do you expect? Hope you all enjoy! And if you wanna leave a review and let me know how you're enjoying it so far, you'd make me a very happy lady! Love you! XoXoXo**

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Courtney was not looking forward to sharing a hotel room with Stu at all. He was probably going to be all over her. She really didn't want to have to explain why the Intercontinental Champion had a black eye or a broken nose. Although, that may be incentive enough for Bennett to keep it in his pants.

The pair was in the elevator. Stu was holding her bags…but Courtney was almost positive that it was only because he wanted everyone to think that he was a gentleman and not a complete douche-canoe. Once they arrived at their floor, Courtney followed Stu to their room. He opened the door, and the two made their way inside.

Once the door shut, Courtney knew she was in no man's land. She did the best that she could to ignore his presence. She grabbed her bag and brought it into the bathroom with her. She made sure that she locked the door, so she wouldn't have to deal with any unpleasant surprise visits from the Englishman.

Courtney changed into a pair of black yoga shorts and a red tank top. She took her makeup off and put her hair up in a hair tie. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

Stu stood right there, as if he had been waiting for her to come out. "Can I help you with something?" she impatiently questioned, ready to kick him in the dick, if necessary.

"Actually, you can," he smugly replied with a smirk.

"You're a real pig. If you try anything with me, you won't have a job anymore. I can promise you that, dipshit."

"Oh? And why is that? What are you gonna do about it?" he challenged her.

She stood up to him. "I will hurt you…badly. And then, I'll make sure your ass gets fired."

"I have a great reputation here. No one would believe a word that came out of some new tart's mouth."

"Then, I'll make sure I hit you so hard in the dick that you'll spend the rest of your life cumming blood," she threatened.

Stu laughed. "You're very cute. Do you want to see what you're missing right now?"

"No. I'm sure I'll do just fine sleeping at night without you showing me your disappointing penis."

Stu back her up against the wall. "Let me tell you something, you need to start being a lot less difficult, and you're going to be a little more agreeable."

"Oh yeah? And why should I do that?"

"Because I am six-foot-seven. I weigh over two-hundred and fifty pounds. I spent years in England as a barknuckle boxer. You don't stand the slightest chance. Do you really think it's a smart idea to try me?"

"Do you really want to end up in jail?"

"I'll be honest with you, I like the fact that you're so resistant."

Courtney gave him a disgusted look. "You're an ass."

Courtney ducked away from him and grabbed her bag. She brought it over to her own bed. She was grateful that he got double beds in their room. The last thing that she wanted to deal with was having Stu try to share a bed with her.

Stu followed behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Why the fuck are you touching me?" she asked him. Stu turned her around to face him.

"You're very beautiful, you know…"

"Oh well now that you've validated me, I must be beautiful," she quipped.

Stu smirked. "You have quite an attitude on you."

"Well, you have quite a set on you."

"You have quite a body on you," he spoke, his eyes running up and down her body.

"And you're a disgusting pig. Now, I'm going to bed. If you lay a finger on me during the night, trust me, I'll have you job."

He smirked. "Sure you will, sweetheart."

* * *

Courtney woke up the next morning, upon hearing Stu speaking on the phone.

"Yes, well, Uncle Stu misses you, too. No, I won't be home soon, sweetheart. But your father is going to bring you to visit me next month or so. I know. I'm excited, too. Alright. I love you, too. Yes, and I miss you very much. Alright, now, your grandmum needs you to get to sleep now. I know you don't want to, but it's late. Where I am? It's morning. You need to get to bed, young lady. Alright. Yes, I love you, too. Goodbye, Avery. Hi mum. I'm going quite well. How are you? Good, and dad? Well, that's good. Oh you did? She's new here. They thought I should have my own valet. They thought it would make me look better. I don't really know her very well. Mum, please with that. Alright. I love you very much, mum. Send my love to dad, too. Alright. Miss you, too. Goodbye." He ended the conversation.

"Look at that. Mr. Asshole has a family and a heart somewhere behind that sex offender mask he wears," she spoke, smirking at him.

Stu visibly jumped and turned around. "How is any of that your business?"

"Well, I heard you. It's very interesting how you act like some big bad ass, but become a complete softie on the phone with your mother, and I assume your niece?"

"Yes, my niece. It's because I care about them. You, on the other hand, are some little tart who needs to understand her place."

"Maybe you need to understand your place. What time are we leaving?" she asked.

"Ten-thirty."

"Alright. I'm going to go for a swim downstairs at the pool," she said, getting up from her bed and grabbing her bag.

"Why is that?" he asked.

"Because I want to. I don't need you permission."

Stu raised an eyebrow at her. "Make sure you're back here with enough time to get ready. We have a long drive ahead of us."

"Right." She walked into the bathroom. Courtney brushed her teeth and changed into her red Vix ruched bandeau bikini top and bottoms. She put her black Melissa Odabash Elizabeth crocheted kaftan over it. She put her Gucci studded metallic leather platform sandals on. She left her hair down and just brushed it out.

Courtney walked out of the bathroom, surprised to see Stu in a pair of red board shorts and a black t-shirt.

"Uh…what are you doing?" she questioned.

"I think I'd actually like to go for a swim with you."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Yeah. I bet you would."

"I have the room key," he said.

"Then, let's go," she impatiently directed him. The pair left the hotel room and made their way to the elevators. When the door opened, they went inside. He pushed the button for the lobby, and the doors closed behind them.

"You look really sexy," he told her.

She rolled her eyes. "You look like you need another mug shot making its rounds on the internet," she replied, giving him a fake smile.

The rest of the ride was silent. They arrived at their destination, and the two walked to the outside pool. There wasn't anyone else out there. On the one hand, she was afraid Stu thought this would be a free-for-all. On the other hand, there were no witnesses to him having his balls ripped off. So, there was an advantage for her. Stu directed her over to two lounge chairs. She sat on one and took her shoes off. Courtney, then, stood up and pulled her kaftan off. Stu's eyes were glued to her as she did so.

"Do you need something?" she asked him.

He smirked. "Oh, I certainly do."

"You're gross." She sat back on the lounge chair, allowing the early morning sun to beat down on her. Stu sat back in the chair next to her, having taken his shirt off.

"You know you want me. Maybe you're being coy, but you'll give in eventually."

"Sure. Keep telling yourself that, sweetheart."

She shook her head and got up, walking into the pool. Stu quickly followed behind her. As soon as Courtney was nearly chest-deep in the water, Stu's hands pulled her body against his, his chest to her back, with his hands gripping her hips.

He brought his lips to her ear. "You're really turning me on, Courtney," he growled into her ear.

"The feeling isn't mutual," she retorted.

"Speaking of the feeling…do you feel how turned on you've got me?" he asked her.

Courtney certainly did feel it against her lower back. "You think that's impressive?" she asked, smirking as she attacked his manhood.

"Sweetheart, I know it's impressive," he spoke into her ear. He ran his hands up her sides, before his fingertips stopped next to her breasts. He moved his hands onto her breasts, continuing to press his erection against her. Courtney couldn't lie to herself, he knew exactly how to touch her. She turned around to face him. She could see the lust residing in his eyes.

"You wanna fuck me, Stu?" Courtney asked him, pressing her body harder against his.

He nodded slowly, has hands sliding their way down her body, resting on her lower back.

She smirked. "Yeah. I bet you do." She used her hands on his shoulders to pull him down to her slightly, as he towered over her. Courtney brought her lips to his ear, barely grazing it, before she spoke, "guess you're the one who fucked your chances."

With that, Courtney pulled out of his grasp. She dipped her head back into the water, then, straightened up. She gave him a devious smile and swam over to the ladder to the right of them. She climbed out of the pool, while Stu continued staring at her. Courtney knew that she was starting to take her control back. She laid down on the lounge chair and closed her eyes, a satisfied smirk unable to leave her face.

A few minutes later, Courtney felt a shadow over her, blocking the sunlight. She opened one eye and was not at all surprised to see Stu standing there. "You may want to cover that up," she told him, referring to the obvious erection his board shorts were doing very little to cover.

"You're a real piece of work, do you know that?"

She smiled. "You really think so?"

He raised an eyebrow, unamused with Courtney's attitude. "You think you're the one in control here?"

She shrugged. "I don't know about that. All I know is that I think you're a complete piece of shit."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"You think you're so wonderful, don't you? Like I should acknowledge that you're anything but a pretty face?"

Courtney chuckled. "Oh Stu, thank you so much. I'm glad you think that I have a pretty face."

"I'm afraid that's all you've got."

"Well, you're ignoring that I have massive balls when it comes to you. But clearly your standards aren't very high, if you don't need anything other than a pretty face to get this to pop up," she replied, flicking the tip of his board short-covered penis that had continued pointing in her direction.

Stu's face contorted into a pained expression. "You bitch," he breathed.

"Haven't you heard? It isn't polite to point, Stuart," she scolded him, patronizingly.

When Stu regained his composure, he placed a hand on her shoulder and leaned down. "Just you wait. You're going to get what's coming to you," he spoke.

"Oh yeah? And what do I have coming to me?"

He grabbed her hand and placed it on the tent in his shorts. "This."

She let out a laugh and pulled her hand away. "Well, I'm afraid I've got some bad news," she mocked his Bad News Barrett character. "You're not gonna treat me like I'm some whore for much longer, Stu. Because I will rip your dick off and shove it down your own throat. Then, you can suck your own dick," she mocked him.

"I'm sure you will, sweetheart." He sat in the chair next to her. She was really getting to him. They both knew it.


	4. Chapter 4

Dominos

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I only own Courtney. And this isn't true.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for all of the support. Of course, I love receiving reviews, so a huge huge thank you to JoMode, DenyingTheTruth, and Rossi's Lil Devil. I'm not gonna lie...nothing makes me feel happier than reviews...I'm also happy to know that you guys are reading and enjoying. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Things are certainly going to get interesting between these two! Love you guys! XoXoXo**

* * *

Four hours in a car with the guy that had been harassing her wasn't exactly what Courtney was looking forward to. But she was determined to make the best of it…or at least keep herself entertained and torture the hell out of the Brit.

She wore a pair of short denim shorts and a black tank top, with a plain white hoodie over it. Her hair was carelessly on top of her head. And while she had dressed for comfort, she knew that she could still drive him crazy.

"You're awfully quiet today," she spoke to the driver, who'd been avoiding her eyes since their earlier encounter at the pool.

"You're awfully annoying," he retorted.

"I'm glad that you think so. I just think that you really need to watch how you treat me. You act like I'm garbage or something. If you thought I was garbage, you wouldn't be so interested in taking advantage of me."

"You're nothing but some tart whose job it is to take care of me," he simply responded.

"You can't take care of yourself? Wow. For a thirty-three year old, that's pretty sad," she patronized him, shaking her head.

Stu rolled his eyes. "You're something."

"You're just an angry little brat because I won't let you fuck me," she shot back with a smug smirk adoring her lips.

"I don't need your permission."

"You talk a big game, but you know your career will be gone in the blink of an eye if you tried that shit with me." She paused for a moment. "So, why is it that I'm getting under your skin, Stu?" she questioned.

Stu smirked. "You think that you're getting under my skin?"

"I know I am."

"Well, clearly, you don't know me very well."

"Okay," she brushed him off, ready to prove him wrong. Courtney pushed her seat back so she was in a lying position. She took her hoodie off and tossed it into the backseat. She put one foot up on the dashboard, spreading her legs slightly. Stu glanced over at Courtney. She smirked and used her arms to push her breasts together, her eyes on the Englishman next to her. He kept switching his focus between the road he was driving on and the woman next to him.

"What are you doing?" he asked her.

"Oh. I'm sorry. Am I distracting you?" she asked, feigning innocence. She ran one of her hands down her body, using it to unbutton her shorts. She pulled the zipper down and rested her hand on top of her opened shorts.

With one hand on her breast and the other slowly snaking its way into her shorts. Stu was having a hard time focusing on the road. He had the consciously remind himself that he was driving and had to pay attention to the road.

"Are you alright, Stu?" Courtney questioned him, sounding as seductive as she could.

"I'm perfectly fine," he replied, though his breathing had become slightly labored. "What in the hell are you doing?"

"I'm sorry. Would you like me to stop?"

He shook his head. "No. It's fine. Just…uh…curious as to what is going on over there," he replied, slightly flustered.

"Sorry…I was just feeling a little warm…and…achy. I just wanted to rub the aching areas…" She had no problem fighting fire with fire. He was going to suffer.

"Are you doing this on purpose?"

"Doing what? Would you like to help me, Stu?" she asked and then, bit her bottom lip.

"If you don't stop, I'm going to pull over," he warned her.

Courtney rolled her eyes. She pulled her hand out of her shorts. She zipped and buttoned them back up. She moved the seat back into its original upright position. She wasn't going to risk having him pullover and try anything with her. But she was certainly going to have a lot of fun doing all she could to dish back everything he did to her.

* * *

Courtney and Stu arrived at the hotel and had checked in. It was only about three o'clock in the afternoon. They didn't have a show that evening but had an interview the next morning and a live show after that.

She was sitting on the couch, watching television. Stu was in the shower. Courtney was planning on going in next.

When the door opened, Stu emerged with a towel wrapped around his waist. "Hey sexy!" she greeted him. He rolled his eyes at her. "Well, I'm gonna rinse myself off quickly. I'm all sweaty and gross," Courtney said. She stood up from the couch. She pulled her tank top off and tossed it at Stu. It hit him on the back. He turned around in time to watch her pull her shorts off, which followed the shirt and were thrown in his direction. He caught them and dropped them on the floor.

Courtney walked towards the bathroom. Stu grabbed her by the arm and pulled her in front of him. "Are you enjoying yourself?" he questioned her, clearly irritated by her actions.

"I am. Are you enjoying yourself?" she reciprocated the question with a flirty smile.

"Not nearly as much as I'd like to be." He was blatantly checking her out in her bra and underwear.

Courtney smirked and wrapped her arms around Stu's torso, pressing her breasts against his body. "Yeah? What would you like to be doing right now?" she asked him.

"I want to throw you on the bed right over there and fuck the living shit out of you," he answered her. Courtney pulled away from him and went into the opened bathroom door with her back to him. She reached behind her back and unhooked her bra and pulled it off. Courtney used one arm to cover her breasts and used the other to throw her bra at him, before throwing a smirk at him and shutting the door.

Stu grabbed the bra and curiously checked the size. 32DD. He smirked. His guess wasn't too far off. They didn't look fake to him, but he also wasn't 100% sure that he was right about that either. She had the body of a stripper. It wouldn't surprise him if she was involved in some type of work in the sex industry. Hell, he believed she belonged there instead of with the WWE, but he would love to take advantage of the fact that she was smoking hot and join her in that shower. But he was sure that she locked the door to prevent that from happening.

Courtney took a quick shower and wrapped a towel around her body. She walked out of the bathroom. Not surprisingly, Stu was still in his towel, sitting on his bed.

"Hey Courtney…would you like to take a seat next to me?" he asked her.

"Not exactly, Mr. I Don't Need Your Permission to Stick it in," she replied, referencing his comments from earlier.

"I won't lay a finger on you," he assured her.

"Of course you won't."

She smirked and sat on the edge of his bed next to him, crossing her legs.

"So, what can I do for you?" Courtney questioned him.

"I was thinking…I know that I wasn't very nice to you yesterday when we met. And I'm sorry for that," he apologized.

"Well, I forgive you, but I'm still a little unsure of why you're apologizing to me. You don't seem like the remorseful type. It's not going to help you get in my pants."

He frowned. "Courtney, I can take care of every single need you have, if you can take care of mine."

She smirked. "Stu, you're such an asshole. And I'm having way too much fun here…you know…torturing the hell out of you. So, I'm going to stick to that. You can keep trying to fuck me…but you're not gonna succeed."

"Why are you being so difficult?"

"You think you're such a hot shot, Stu. You can go bang plenty of girls who are into famous wrestlers. And that accent of yours can only help you get their pants off quickly. There's no need to fixate on me."

"You see, Courtney, I don't know very much about you, but I do know that you're not a ring rat. I don't fuck ring rats," he replied. "Not to mention, I can tell just by looking at you…you know your way around a dick."

"I somehow have managed to spend a lot of my time around dicks…just like you. You're a real dick, Stu. Don't presume to know shit about me."

Courtney got up from the bed and slipped on her Agent Provocateur Matilda thong. She kept her back to Stu, so he couldn't see her chest, and dropped the towel off of her body. She put the matching bra on and turned around.

Stu's eye completely devoured the sight of her before him. "Clearly I do know something about you…"

Courtney smirked. "I'm sure you know me so well, don't you, Stu?" She walked over to him and stood in front of his still sitting form. "What is your issue?"

Stu laughed. "You don't get it, Courtney. Do you know how many of these women want me? Ring rats? Divas? They flirt with me all of the time and try to get me all hot and bothered for them. They're easy…the whole lot of them."

"So, why not fuck them?" she asked him.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Who says I haven't?" he arrogantly replied.

"The fact that you can't seem to quit springing wood every time we get close says so," she shot back, referring to his erection, which was something she was used to seeing already…and they'd only met one day ago.

"And how does that tell you I haven't fucked them? Maybe I just have a very overactive libido," he retorted with a smirk.

"If that were the case, you'd have accepted my repeated rejections, fucked them, and you'd stop harassing me about sitting on your dick."

"You're the only one who poses any sort of a challenge to me," he finally relented and responded to her question.

"That's what I thought. Since we're off tonight, where are you taking me to dinner?" Courtney asked him.

"And what make you think that I'm going to take you out to dinner?" he questioned, confused by her assumption.

Courtney put her hands on the front of his shoulders and slowly pushed his upper body back on the bed. She climbed on top of him, straddling him and leaning her upper body over his. Her ample cleavage was clearly visible to him, as he looked up at her. He slowly ran his hands up the backs of her thighs. He was beginning to think he was finally going to get what he wanted.

"I dunno, Stu. I just thought that it'd be something really nice that you could do for me," she spoke, keeping her voice low.

"Will you fuck me after dinner?" he crudely ask her.

She leaned her face closer to his, her lips barely two inches away from his. "Probably not." She leaned back slightly, allowing his erection, which was still covered by his towel, to press against her ass. He sucked in a deep breath upon contact.

"What's your favorite kind of food?" he inquired, knowing that she was winning this round.

"Italian. I love Italian food," she replied, pushing back slightly on the erection, knowing that it was driving him crazy.

"I'll take you to dinner," he finally agreed.

A smile crossed her lips. "Thank you." She got up off of him and stood up. "Make sure it's a nice place. I have a dress that I'm just dying to wear."

Stu propped himself up on his elbows and just stared at her. This one was good. Really good. He suspected that he may have finally met his match, though, he didn't want to give her that much credit quite yet. Courtney certainly knew how to get him all hot and bothered. He couldn't deny that much. And watching her prance around in her bra and underwear in the hotel room that they were sharing…that was not helping him at all. She knew exactly what she was doing. Courtney was driving Stu absolutely crazy. He didn't want her to be the one with the power, but she was clearly starting to edge him out when it came to having control over their relationship.


	5. Chapter 5

Dominos

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: This isn't true. I only own Courtney.

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**A/N: You guys are so amazing with these reviews. A thanks to JoMode, Rossi's Lil Devil, and DenyingTheTruth (Just you wait until Courtney's secrets come out...I'm excited, and I'm the one who makes it up lol). You guys are amazing, and I love you very much! I hope everyone's enjoying Dominos, as I've been excited to post this for weeks before I finally did. Reviews are always loved and appreciated and considering I'm sick (thanks to my boyfriend's inability to keep his germs to himself, as he's like a kid who doesn't know how to cover his damn mouth), it makes me feel a lot better. Plus, it makes me all too eager to post the next chapter lol I hope you all enjoy! Love you guys! XoXoXo**

* * *

"Ready yet?" Stu asked to the bathroom door. "We have reservations for 6:00. It's 5:35. If you don't hurry it up, we're going to be late."

"Shut up. You whine like a teenage girl. Hold your horses, you pain in my ass, I'm almost done," Courtney replied.

She examined herself in the mirror for probably the fiftieth time. She wore a Diane von Furstenburg Pellina Paillette Sequin dress with her Sergio Rossi Puzzle Basic Embellished Suede sandals. Her long brown hair was half up in a low, subtle bouffant. She had done her make up with smoky eyes and nearly nude lipstick. All she needed was her Marchesa Lily Embellished Mesh box clutch. That was on her bed.

Courtney finally opened the bathroom door and stepped out. She rushed over to the bed and grabbed the clutch. She'd already put her stuff it in. She turned towards Stu. "Okay, you big baby. I'm all ready."

He remained silent and just stared at her. Courtney couldn't lie. Stu looked great. He had on a pair of black dress pants on and a dark blue button-down shirt. She thought that he cleaned up quite well.

"Stu? Are you ready?" she asked him, waving her hand in front of his face.

He shook his head, snapping out of his trance. "Um…yeah. Sorry, let's go," he said, pulling his eyes off of her. Stu walked over to the door and opened it. She walked out, followed by the Englishman. He followed behind her, as they walked toward the elevator, his eyes glued to the body in front of him.

Stu was having a hard time keeping his eyes off of Courtney. She was breathtaking. Those legs went on for what seemed like forever. Her ass was perfect—round and toned. He wished that he could grab it at that moment. She had toned arms that looked well-worked out, while still looking feminine. Her breasts, though he couldn't see them from where he was, were amazing. Stu wanted nothing more than to feel them against his chest, as his lips were on top of hers. He also wanted those lips to make their way to those breasts. That body was absolutely driving him mad with lust. She was perfect. Her face was the most beautiful face he'd truly believed he had ever seen. And tonight…she just looked incredible.

Quite honestly, Stu knew that he was all too happy to be taking Courtney out to dinner. Having her on his arm, looking the way that she did, made him feel really good about himself. How he was going to be able to survive this night, knowing she was going to tease the hell out of him…he had absolutely no clue.

The elevator ride was completely silent. Stu was just standing there, drooling over Courtney, and Courtney was well aware of what was going on and how much power she had in this situation. She was going to use this to her advantage.

When the pair arrived at the lobby, Stu led Courtney outside to the car that he had rented. He opened the passenger's side door for her, as he had decided to behave like a gentleman for the evening. She got in, and as he walked around the front of the car to the driver's side door, Courtney pulled the top of her dress down slightly to expose some more of her cleavage and hiked the hem of her already short dress up an extra inch.

Stu got in the car and took a deep breath, before finally starting the car. Courtney crossed her legs. The drive only continued the silence between them.

About halfway through the drive, Stu finally spoke up. "You know, you look…good," he complimented her.

Courtney smiled. "Thank you."

"I mean…you look better than good," he corrected himself. "You look…beautiful. Not that you don't usually look beautiful, but you look amazing tonight." He felt like an absolute bumbling idiot at that moment and wanted to smack himself.

"Mr. Bennett, it would seem like you're a little flustered. One might think that you had a little crush on me right about now," she teased him.

"You must be absolutely mad to even suggest that. I do not have a crush on you, Courtney," he firmly denied.

"Oooh. Getting a little defensive, are we?"

"I'm not getting defensive," he again defended himself. Contrary to the words he spoke, he was getting quite defensive.

"Okay. Sure. Whatever you say," she patronized him. It made her happy that she was so easily able to push his buttons.

"You know, you should be grateful that I'm even taking you out to dinner tonight," Stu pointed out. "Not trying to irritate the shit out of me."

"I am grateful. But there's nothing I enjoy more than busting your chops."

He shot her a look. "Real mature," he muttered.

She gave him a big, exaggerated smile.

A couple of minute later, Stu pulled into the parking lot and parked the car in an empty spot. The two got out and walked into the small, elegant Italian restaurant. As they walked up to the hostess's desk, they were greeted by a young blonde.

Stu spoke to her, while Courtney looked around at the place. It was very small and intimate. It actually looked quite romantic, which was not exactly what she would have expected from Stu. But she wasn't going to complain. For the first time since they met, Courtney felt like Stu actually looked at her like she was something other than a plaything. It felt nice.

His hand on the small of her back snapped her back into reality, as they were led through the establishment to a rounded, secluded booth in the back of the restaurant. Courtney knew that she'd be sitting next to Stu the whole time. She just hoped he could keep his hands to himself.

Courtney scooted into the booth, while Stu scooted in next to her. The two were handed their menus, as the hostess walked back to her stand.

"This is really nice," Courtney commented.

"Well, if I can't get in your pants by force, I may as well try to impress you, right?" he said with a shrug.

The brunette rolled her eyes. "Always a charmer, Stu."

"I'm kidding," he spoke, putting the menu down.

She put hers down, as well. "No, you're not. Don't lie to me."

"Okay, well, I'm not completely kidding."

She gave him a look. "So, why would you even bother taking me to a place like this?" she inquired.

"We both had to eat, right?"

"We could have gone anywhere. This place is nice…and a little romantic, even."

"I thought you'd like to be treated like a lady, instead of as my whore."

"Excuse me? Your whore?" she questioned him, raising an eyebrow. She detested the fact that he referred to her as his whore. "Wow. You know how to make a woman feel like a real piece of trash, Stu. Your mother must be so proud of you. I'm sure that you'd like someone to treat your niece this way," Courtney shot back, clearly hurt by what he said.

"Don't you dare bring my mum or Avery into this," he protested.

"I had a family. There were people on this planet who loved me like you love the women in your life. Don't equate me to trash."

He eyed her curiously. "_Had_ a family?"

"Well, we all don't have the overwhelming luck to be able to have a family and be such an entitled douchebag, as you are," she quipped.

"I make comments that are less than polite all of the time. And yet now you're getting all pissy with me?"

"Because for almost twenty minutes, you weren't making me feel like a whore. But you went ahead and ruined that."

"Courtney, I—"

She put her hand up in his face. "Quit speaking to me, Wade." He immediately felt like the biggest asshole on the planet.

Courtney took the menu back in her hands and began scanning it. She thought that this night would go well…especially judging from the way that he looked at her as soon as she walked out of the bathroom. Clearly, she was very wrong about that.

* * *

Dinner had been quite uncomfortable to say the least. Courtney had refused to speak to Stu. Stu felt pretty bad about what he had said, considering how great the night had started out, and how quickly it freefell because of him. Besides, if she was pissed off with him, he doubted that there was any chance she would even consider sleeping with him. Truth be told, even besides that, he felt bad for referring to her as his whore. The look at he saw in her eyes when those words left his lips made him feel awful.

"Courtney…" he finally spoke. She ignored him. "Courtney, please?" Still no response. "Courtney, I'm sorry I said that," he apologized.

She simply glared at him, as their waiter brought the check over to the table. Stu quickly grabbed it and placed his credit card on the small leather folder and placed it back down on the edge of the table.

"Can you please say something?" he asked her.

"Fuck you, asshole," she spat.

The waiter collected the payment, before bringing his credit card, payment slip, and his copy of the receipt back moments later. Wade signed the slip, leaving the staff a generous tip. He collected his credit card and his receipt. The two got out of the booth and left the restaurant, with her walking ahead of him.

"Thank you for dinner, but you're still a complete douchebag," Courtney finally spoke without being prompted, as they approached the car. Stu opened the passenger's side door for her, still trying to be a gentleman, though he knew it was a lame attempt to fix what he had done. Courtney got into her seat. Stu made his way into the driver's seat and turned the car on, though he didn't drive quite yet. He looked at the woman sitting next to him.

"Courtney, I shouldn't have said that to you. I'm sorry for ruining what should have been a perfect evening with my big mouth. You look absolutely incredible, and I'm just a complete jackass. I hate myself for ruining our night out," he apologized.

Courtney remained silent for a few moments. "You think I look incredible?" she questioned, looking at him suspiciously.

"I'd be stupid to think any differently, Court. You look…absolutely breathtaking," he admitted, his voice genuine.

Courtney tried to hide her smile, but she couldn't. "Do you really hate yourself for ruining our dinner?" she asked him.

"Of course I do."

"Fine," Courtney relented. "Then, I guess, you can have a clear conscience…if you even have one to begin with." She couldn't resist interjecting her comment just to get a jab in.

"Let me make it up to you, Court."

"What've you got in mind?"

"I'll take you out again the next time that we have a free night, and I promise I won't fuck it all up again," he offered.

She shrugged. "Maybe. In the meantime, you should work on not being a dick, too," she suggested.

"I'll work on that."

"I don't feel very confident…but okay."

Stu gave her a smile. "Seriously. I'll try to do a better job."

Courtney rolled her eyes at him. "Okay." He raised an eyebrow at her, before she finally caved and smiled at him.

"There's the smile I was looking for."

"Oh just drive," she said, waving him off.

"Alright," he agreed, before finally heading back to their hotel. He hoped that if nothing else, they were at least okay for the time being.


	6. Chapter 6

Dominos

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: This isn't real. I only own Courtney.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for the love from my favorites! JoMode, Rossi's Lil Devil, and DenyingTheTruth (BTW, had some setbacks with the OOC sequel, but it's back on track. I'll probably be posting it within the next week or so.) You guys are the absolute best and always put a smile on my face! Hope you enjoy this chapter. If you enjoy it, please review. It makes me happy. Love you guys! XoXoXo**

* * *

When the two got back to their hotel room, Courtney headed towards the bathroom to change out of her dress.

"Wait," Stu stopped her.

She turned around. "What's up?"

"It's still early, you know. I may have screwed dinner up, but there is a bar downstairs. Maybe we could go down and get a drink?" he offered.

"Are you trying to get me drunk so that you can bring me back up here and fuck me?" Courtney asked him, suspiciously.

"No…I just think that I ruined our dinner…and you look amazing. Maybe the evening doesn't have to be a total loss."

She thought for a few moments. "Alright," she agreed.

"Great." The two left their hotel room again. He led her to the elevator and pushed the down button, and they waited for the elevator car to arrive on their floor.

"So why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden?" Courtney questioned him. The doors opened, and the pair stepped inside.

"Because…I though you would be an easy target for me when you first got here. But, clearly, I misjudged you," he explained. "It seems like I may have met my match in you."

She smirked. "Oh sweetie, you haven't seen anything yet," she told him. "And that you can bet on."

The elevator doors opened, as the two were again in the lobby. They walked over to the bar. The pair found an empty booth in the corner and sat down.

"What would you like to drink?" Stu asked her.

"A glass of Riesling would be wonderful."

He nodded and got up, walking over to the bar to order their drinks. Courtney knew better than to trust Stu's intentions. She knew how men worked better than most women did. There was no way in hell she was going to let him get what he wanted from her.

Stu returned with a glass of wine and a drink for himself. He sat next to her and handed her the glass filled with Riesling.

"Thank you, Stu," Courtney said, taking the glass from him. He held his glass up to toast her. She held hers up, as well.

"To starting over," he spoke.

She gave him a nod. They clinked their glasses together and both took a sip.

"So, where'd you come from?" Stu asked.

"Um, well, I'm from New Hampshire."

"And what did you do there?"

"Lived. Worked."

"Obviously. I mean, what did you do?"

"Um…I did some modelling…"

Stu could tell that she was hiding something. "Really? Did you do anything else?"

"Is this the Inquisition or something?"

"You're hiding something," he pointed out.

"I am hiding a lot," she freely admitted. "And I'm not going to tell you what."

"Why not?"

"Because you don't need to know."

"We're gonna be spending a lot of time together. I think we should know more about each other."

"Anything that you need to know, you already know," Courtney told him, taking another drink from her glass.

Stu raised an eyebrow at her. "Alright. Well, what made you work here?"

"I was made an offer that I couldn't refuse," she told him.

"You're very secretive."

She nodded. "I know I am. But I have my reasons, Stu. Everyone has secrets. Just some people happen to have more than others."

"It's definitely intriguing."

"Well, thank you."

He laughed. "Alright. Well…just for my own curiosity…are your tits real?" he asked.

She nearly choked on her wine, not expecting that to come out of his mouth. Courtney gave him a smile. "Some things never change. Yes, they're real," she answered.

"Impressive."

She shrugged. "Big boos run in the family," she told him.

"Speaking of your family, do they live in New Hampshire?" he questioned.

"Still trying to get more information from me. Well played. But I'm not going to answer that one, either."

Stu frowned. "Is there anything you're willing to talk about?"

Courtney shrugged. "You can keep trying your luck."

"You're very much different from all of these other women," he told her.

"I've been through enough to not be like most other women."

"You tease me…sexually…all of the time. And now you're teasing my curiosity. You're probably hiding some sort of past as a dominatrix or something."

Courtney let out of a laugh. "No. I was never a dominatrix," she replied.

"Well, one possibility down. Only about ten million more to go."

"Let me ask you something…why were you so mean to me when we first met?"

"I'll answer you, if you answer a question for me."

"Depends on the question."

"Do your parents live in New Hampshire?"

"Alright. I'll give you the best answer I possibly can. My mother technically does," she replied to his question.

"Does your father?"

"Um…well, he left my mom when he found out that she was pregnant with me. But as far as I know, he doesn't."

"Oh. Wow."

"I've got a lot going on. What can I say?"

"What do you mean that your mother technically does?" he questioned.

"That's where she's buried. She died when I was seventeen," she admitted.

"Oh. I'm sorry, Courtney," he spoke, his voice regretful. He wanted to know that kind of stuff, sure, but he felt more like an asshole upon forcing it out of her.

She smiled. "Don't worry about it. Now, you have to answer my question," she told him.

"I was mean because I assumed that you were one of those chicks that would turn into a complete whore at the first opportunity. I figured you were just…some throwaway, but clearly, I was wrong about you."

"But Danielle obviously would drop to her knees for you in a heartbeat, and you're nice to her," she pointed out.

"I have to be."

"But you don't have to be nice to me?"

"A valet is different than a Diva."

Courtney raised an eyebrow. "You're just that kind of genuine asshole, aren't you?" she asked him.

He shrugged. "Perhaps. Would you like another?"

"Sure," she replied.

Stu got up to get them another round of drinks. Courtney finished her first glass of wine she'd had and placed the empty glass on the table. She knew Stu was going to be trying to figure out what her story was.

But she didn't want him to know too much. There were too many skeletons in her closet. And she didn't want anyone to find them.

* * *

About five glasses of wine later, Courtney was feeling great. She was having a great time talking to Stu, as he had downed five Jack and Cokes.

"Do you want to go back up to our room?" he asked her.

She smiled. "Yeah."

The pair got out of the booth. Courtney was a little wobbly on her legs. Stu wrapped an arm around her waist and led her to the elevator. She leaned against him, as the two waited for the doors to open.

"I love these shoes so much, but my feet are killing me," she admitted. The elevator doors opened, and the pair stepped inside. Stu pushed the button for their floor. The doors shut behind them.

"Seriously, you look so fucking beautiful, Courtney," he told her. She smiled up at him. It made her feel good to hear that from him, of all people.

"Thank you," she said. "That's very sweet. Very rarely have I been called beautiful. I've gotten hot and sexy. They're nice to hear and all…but nothing like hearing beautiful."

"It's the truth. You're beautiful."

When the doors opened, Stu lifted Courtney up in his arms and left the elevator, heading towards their room.

"Why are you holding me?" she asked with a laugh in her voice.

"You said that your feet were hurting. So, I'm trying to be helpful."

"You're being such a great guy tonight," Courtney said, wrapping her arms around him.

"I'm trying to be."

When they got to their door, Stu put her down and pulled his keycard out of her wallet and opened the door. They made their way inside.

Courtney sat on the couch and quickly took her heels off. "Oh my God. This feels so good," she moaned.

The sound of her voice speaking those words was a massive turn-on to Stu. He walked over to her as she stood up. "You're perfect," he softly spoke, his eyes gazing into hers.

A smile played on her lips. "I'm not."

"No, you really are," he argued, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Stu…"

"You've been driving me crazy," he told her.

"I know that."

He laughed. "You do it on purpose. But it works so well."

She rested a hand on his chest. "You're not as vile as I thought you were."

Stu leaned down, bringing his face closer to Courtney's, as he cupped it in his hands. Their eyes were locked on each other. He leaned into finally kiss her, but Courtney pulled away at the last possible moment.

"I'm sorry, Stu. I wish I could have let that happen, but I can't," she whispered, shaking her head.

"Why?"

"I just can't."

"Fine," he relented, not wanting to do anything wrong and mess up the night for the second time. Courtney walked off to change into her pajamas in the bathroom. Stu sat on the edge of his bed, his head in his hands. This woman was driving him absolutely insane.


	7. Chapter 7

Dominos

Chapter 7

Disclaimer: This didn't actually happen. Courtney is the only one that belongs to me…which sounds really creepy…but it's the truth.

* * *

**A/N: Ahhh my three faves always coming through for me! JoMode...love you! DenyingTheTruth...trust me, just wait until we find out about the both of them. Ugh I can't even wait for it happen...and I'm the one who wrote it. Rossi's Lil Devil...eventually...it may happen lol in the meantime, she's gonna torture the hell out of him lol I love reviews...you guys have no idea how happy they make me. Even the boyfriend knows that when I get reviews, I'm in a better mood lol I hope everyone else is enjoying this, as well. I wouldn't mind if more of you left reviews ;) I appreciate everyone reading though! Love you guys! XoXoXo **

* * *

The next morning was pretty rough for Stu. He barely got any sleep the night before. He couldn't seem to get his mind off of Courtney. And with her being one bed over, he couldn't seem to escape the thoughts. He was definitely getting in this a lot deeper than he had wanted to. She had him going crazy. He could barely look at her without having to resist the urge to grab her and kiss her. Stu didn't understand why she was so difficult. He had Divas throwing themselves at him. But with Courtney, he couldn't seem to get anywhere.

"You okay?" Courtney asked, as the two were waiting for their cue to enter the radio station's studio, where they were scheduled to conduct an interview.

"Huh? Me? Yeah," he sleepily responded.

"You look exhausted," she commented.

"Someone looked great last night and had me hard as a rock, but she wouldn't help me out with it," Stu half-lied. He was turned on alright, but it was his brain that had kept him awake. The one not in his pants, to be more specific.

Courtney smirked. "Oh yeah? That's what did it? I just have to get all dressed up and deny you?"

"Apparently," he mumbled.

She nudged him. "Oh calm down, grumpy. Maybe you shouldn't have been such a prick when we met."

"Then, you'd fuck me?"

"Mmm…good point. Probably not."

"Exactly."

"Well, I hope you know that I do appreciate all of the effort that you've been putting in. We've known each other for what? Three days? I don't think anyone has ever tried so hard in my entire life," she teased him.

"Gee. Thank you," he replied with an eye roll.

"Oh don't be such a bad sport," Courtney scolded him.

"I'm so exhausted," he breathed.

"I'll drive to the arena. You can nap in the car," she suggested.

"I appreciate the offer, but I doubt I'll be able to get any sleep."

"Why? Because you'll be too busy wanting to fuck me?"

"And I said that you were dumb. Clearly, I was wrong about that. Look at you just proving me wrong at every opportunity."

Courtney rolled her eyes. "You're trying way too hard. Maybe you should go fuck one of your little Diva admirers. Then, you'll be able to focus better. You probably have semen flooding both of your brains," she mocked him smugly.

"You're such a bitch."

"I know."

"Mr. Bennett and Miss Kensington, they're ready for you," one of the studio assistants called to them.

"Thank you," Courtney said, as the two got up and headed in for their interviews.

* * *

Courtney and Stu were exhausted that night, after the show. They'd gone back to their hotel room, just wanting to get some sleep. Although, Stu wouldn't turn down any physical contact with the brunette, if he could get some.

"I just want to sleep," she groaned.

"Well, then, we better get some sleep. We have a show Friday and are flying home right afterwards. I assume you're going back to New Hampshire?"

"Why would I go there?"

"Isn't that where you live?"

"No. I'm from New Hampshire, but I live in Tampa. I told you that when you were being a douchebag on day one."

"Oh. Sorry, well, I live there, too," Stu replied. "I just thought…"

"Stu, where are you from?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Preston, England."

"So does that mean you live there, too?"

"Alright. You've got me there. So, you'll be on the flight with me?" he questioned.

She gave him a fake excited smile. "Yay!"

He chuckled. "So you moved from New Hampshire to Florida?"

"I've lived in other states, too."

"Like?"

"Well, I've lived in New York, California, and Nevada," she answered him.

"Oh wow."

"I've had an interesting life," she told him with a shrug.

"I'd love to hear all about your interesting life."

"I know you would."

"I'm still not telling you anything. Maybe one day I'll write a book, and I'll send you a copy," she said with a smirk.

"That doesn't help me now, does it?"

"I'm sorry."

She grabbed a white, ribbed tank top and a pair of Victoria's Secret cotton ruched-back hip hugger panties in black with a black lace back. She walked into the bathroom to change.

Seeing as Stu had showered after his match, he had simply stripped down to his boxers.

When Courtney emerged from the bathroom, Stu's eyes were once-again glued to her. He could just barely see through the thin white top. As for the underwear, he could see her ass through the lacy back.

"What?" she asked, as he'd been blatantly staring.

"Huh?"

"You're staring at me."

"Oh…"

"What did I do now?"

"I can see your nipples through that shirt. And I can see your ass. What do you expect?" he rhetorically asked her.

"That you'd exhibit a little bit of self-control. Are you one of those fucking assholes that blames rape victims for dressing too provocatively?" she questioned with a scowl on her face and her hands on her hips, a little frustrated with him.

"What?! No! Not at all! Besides, I'm not raping anyone…especially not you. I may be a wanker most of the time, but I'm not that bad. I'm just staring at you when all I know it'll do is result in another sleepless night for me."

Courtney eyed him suspiciously. "Oh?"

"I want to fuck the shit out of you. You know this. It shouldn't come as a surprise."

She smirked. "Oh Stu." She paused and walked up to him. "If it helps…it's really hard to stare at such a sexy body with no shirt on…in just a pair of boxers." She brought a hand onto his arm. He stood up.

"You're doing this on purpose," he breathed, his eyes locked on hers.

Courtney smirked. "Am I?" she asked, giving him an innocent look as she pressed her body against his. He brought a hand onto her lower back.

"Of course you are."

"Is it working?" she asked, both hands slowly snaking their way around his torso.

Stu was afraid to speak and simply nodded in response. She placed one small, lingering kiss on his chest. He sucked a deep breath in, as she felt his erection begin pressing against her lower abdomen.

"I can't lie…I love the reaction that I get from you."

"So what you're really saying is that you enjoy torturing me?" he asked her.

"I do."

"And why is that?"

"Because you came at me like you were such a big, tough guy who got whatever he wanted. And yet here we are…" she explained.

"If I declare you the winner, will you stop torturing me and just give in?"

"I doubt you want that. Stu…I don't fuck losers. Been there, done that. If you're a loser, you won't be getting what you've been begging me for."

"You're driving me absolutely mad."

She brought a hand behind his neck, pulling his face closer to hers. Their noses were touching. Courtney couldn't deny the fact that she was getting turned on. She just happened to have more self-control. "Stu," she whispered, get lips nearly grazing his…put purposely not.

"Yes?"

"I'm gonna go to bed," she said and pulled back from him.

Stu's arms dropped off of her, as Courtney backed away from him. "You're killing me," he groaned, his erection lewdly protruding from his body, though still clothed by his boxers.

"You're cute."

"You're the devil."

"I may very well be," she replied.

"You can't do this again. You always get me so excited, and then, you leave me like this."

"Stu, I'm pretty sure you have a hand. You can take care of yourself."

"I'd appreciate a hand from you."

"I'm sure that you would, but I've done enough to help you. You already told me that you could see my nipples and my ass. Isn't that more than enough for you?"

"Not nearly enough, sweetheart."

"Stu, I wish that I could do more, but I really can't."

"You can. You just won't."

She thought for a moment and nodded. "True. Goodnight, handsome." With that, Courtney climbed into her bed, under the covers, leaving Stu sexually frustrated, turned on, and with another long night ahead of him.

* * *

Stu's eyes opened upon feeling his bed shift. The room was shrouded in darkness. As his eyes adjusted, the figure who'd climbed into his bed was straddling him.

"Courtney?" he questioned.

"I don't have as much self-control as I thought I did," she whispered, leaning in towards him.

"Is this another joke?" he suspiciously questioned her.

Courtney pressed her lips against Stu's in hungry lust. His hands rested on her thighs. She pulled back from him. "What do you think?" she asked.

"Alright," he said, before pulling her back in for another kiss. Courtney began trailing kisses down his neck and his chest. His hands reached down for her top, which he began pulling off of her. Once it was over her head, he tossed it to the floor.

Courtney lifted her head up, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. "Happy now?" He grabbed two handfuls of her breasts, feeling anticipation he had never known before.

"I don't think I've ever been happier," he admitted, pulling her body down, so she was sitting on him. His eyes rolled back in his head, upon feeling the contact of her on his hard on.

"I bet I can make you happier," she challenged.

"I bet you can," Stu agreed.

Courtney began sliding down his body slowly, while she placed kisses down his chest, continuing to slide further down, until her lips had finally reached the waistband of his boxers. Her fingers grabbed the elastic and began pulling them down.

"Stu," he heard her moan. "Stu…Stu…Stu…"

His eyes opened in the barely lit room. He looked over and saw Courtney standing there, shaking him.

"Are you alright?" she asked him, her voice quiet. "You were moaning really loudly and making weird noises."

"Oh. Sorry. Did I wake you?"

"Yeah…are you alright?"

"Yeah. Sorry. I guess I was having a dream," he apologized.

"Clearly," she replied, eyeing the tent being pitched in the blankets.

"Oh…well, then, I guess I was just having a dream. You know…you could make that dream a reality."

"Then, you'll be making my nightmare come true."

"You'd enjoy it."

"I'm sure that I would, Stu," she replied, giving him a patronizing smile. "I'm going back to sleep now. Please, if you're going to have more sex dreams about me, please try to keep it down," she requested.

"I can't make you any promises, darling."

Courtney crawled back into bed. She smiled to herself. She was driving the Englishman completely crazy, just like she wanted to. Then, maybe he would learn his lesson and not be such a douchebag.

Stu was sure he was going to go crazy. He was now dreaming about Courtney. He had no idea how he was going to be able to handle this. She was teasing him like crazy. He couldn't even sleep without thinking about her. He was going to have a hard time having a valet. He thought it was going to mean he had plenty of great sex whenever he wanted it. That's what he always thought it would mean for him. Now, the only sex he'd be having would be on his own. Or with one of the Divas, who sure as hell didn't do it for him the way that Courtney did. Stu had no idea how he was going to deal with this without having a mental breakdown.


	8. Chapter 8

`Dominos

Chapter 8

Disclaimer: This didn't happen in real life. Courtney is my creation.

* * *

**A/N: A huge thank you to my love JoMode, Jenni, and Rossi's Lil Devil for the reviews. You guys make me the happiest girl on earth! I know the tension between Courtney and Stu is driving everyone crazy. But...the build up will be worth it, I'm sure :) Hope you enjoy the next chapter. Love you guys! XoXoXo**

* * *

On the plane ride home that Friday night, both Stu and Courtney were practically zombies, exhausted and ready for a much needed break from the hectic schedule of being on the road. They'd spent the last two weeks participating in the live shows and taking care of scheduled interviews and planned appearances. They were sitting next to each other, though, they were the only two in their row of three seats.

"I'm so fucking tired," Courtney groaned.

"We've got a four hour plane ride ahead of us. Just sleep on here."

"I can't sleep on planes."

"Why not?"

"I'm just not comfortable on them."

"Here," he said, taking her pillow and placing it on top of their shared armrest. He held his arm open for her. She gave him a look. "I'm not trying to fuck you in the middle of this plane. I'm trying to help you and be nice. Come on now." She hesitated but leaned in toward his body. She rested her head on his shoulder. Stu pulled her against him, resting his arm around her. She squirmed a bit until she found a comfortable positioning.

And within nearly ten minutes, Courtney was out cold. Stu just watched her, while she slept. He was beginning to rethink having her cuddled up against him. He wasn't sure exactly what it was that he was feeling for her at that moment. But it wasn't the lust that he usually felt. As she slept, her arm found its way across his body, her hand resting on the other side of his body, opposite of where she was, holding onto him.

If he were some random person walking onto the plane, he would have thought that the two were dating or something like that. Quite honestly, he didn't mind anyone thinking that either. Maybe it was because he was exhausted and delusional, but at this moment, he was truly content with having her there. There was just something about her that made him feel so much different than he ever had. Maybe it was simply that she didn't fawn all over him like the other women did. He had to put in a lot of hard work with her…and he still didn't get anywhere.

Besides, the Divas that had been all over him couldn't hold a candle to Courtney. She was beautiful. Those dark brown eyes, her long brown hair…her body was perfect. He couldn't find one thing that he didn't like about her. There was nothing more perfect to him than her body. She had amazing curves that always drove him crazy. It was as if she was created out of his fantasies. But instead of fulfilling those fantasies, she was there to torture him.

Courtney stirred slightly in her sleep. Stu glanced down at her. She was usually teasing him and driving him absolutely insane. Now, she looked completely innocent…nothing like the woman who'd pranced around in her underwear for the sole purpose of being able to work him up and quickly deny him.

As much as he couldn't deny that he loved it when she was driving him crazy, Stu had to admit to himself that he really liked this look for her. And though he hated to admit it, all Stu wanted to do right now was take care of her and protect her. He knew that this wasn't going to end well…at least not for him.

* * *

Stu and Courtney had shared car ride home, seeing as they'd discovered that they only lived a few blocks away from each other.

"So, I'll pick you up on Monday morning at 5:00, alright?" Stu spoke, as he unpacked her bag from the trunk of the car.

"Okay," she agreed. He carried it up the steps of her beautiful, two-story house. "Thanks for carrying my bag," she said with a smile.

"I can bring it inside for you," he offered.

"That's alright. I appreciate you doing this much for me at 3:30 in the morning."

"Was my pleasure."

"Alright. See you Monday morning."

"Bye Courtney," he said, handing the bag to her.

"Bye Stu," she said, taking it and unlocking her door, while Stu made his way back to the car, so that he could get home.

Courtney went inside and shut the door. Things definitely felt completely different with him. He wasn't acting like some macho jackass anymore. He was a complete gentleman towards her. If someone told her that this is how it would be on day one, she would have called said person a fucking liar.

She glanced out of the window and saw the car driving away. Courtney turned and looked at her house. It still didn't feel like home here. She'd only lived in the place for about a month or so. She still felt weird being there.

Courtney went from having nothing to having everything in the blink of an eye. She didn't know how she felt about it. She did know that she felt out of place in the life she was living now. Her entire life had changed. Courtney didn't want anyone to find out about her life before this, and she certainly didn't want anyone to know how she came to be a part of the WWE.

She couldn't afford to have everyone know who she was and what was really going on with her situation. Especially not Stu. It didn't matter what the situation between them was. She knew damn well that the second he found out the truth, he would turn his back on her quicker than he had ever managed to spring wood around her.

Courtney sat on the plush Java-colored couch. Was this whole thing a mistake? She was so sick and tired of having secrets. The last eight years were full of secrets. No one knew her whole story…even the people who knew parts of it…they still didn't know the whole thing. Quite frankly, she didn't have anything to do with the people that she used to know. All of this weighed so heavily on her, but this was her life now. She had no choice but to deal with everything as it came. She just hoped that no one would find out the truth.

* * *

Stu felt completely alone. He went home, tried to sleep and couldn't sleep for more than a couple of hours. So, he'd already done his laundry, showered, and got dressed. But instead of enjoying the time he had to himself, he could it left him feeling…lonely this time around. He loved being on the road and all. But he was never so unhappy being home before.

Stu didn't want to admit the real reason why. He knew that it was because of Courtney. She'd had a strong hold of him since she began putting him in his place. These girls were always quick to give him whatever it was that he wanted from them.

But not Courtney. She was different. She was unlike any woman that he had ever met before. She was drop dead gorgeous. She was, by far, one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen in his thirty-three years. Everything about her turned him on. And she had come off as some naïve, meek, little newbie.

However, she had proven him wrong. Courtney was just as bad as he was. Stu had to admit…she was good at what she did. She gave him a run for his money when it came to being strong-willed and stubborn. He was wrapped around her finger, and while he would deny it if someone told him, he knew that she had him.

Now, he was sitting at home, bored and wishing that he was back on the road with her already. He hated to even admit it to himself, but he missed her. Quite frankly, she was all Stu could think about. He wanted to go see her, and that's exactly what he planned on doing.


	9. Chapter 9

Dominos

Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I own Courtney. And this didn't really happen. Ugh…I'd love it if it did, though.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for the love, JoMode and Rossi's Lil Devil! I hope everyone's still enjoying this. Things are gonna start getting a little more crazy very soon :) Love you guys! XoXoXo**

* * *

Courtney was sitting on the couch, in a simple pair of shorts and a tank top. She was watching television, relaxing…trying to enjoy not being on the road. Though she didn't exactly feel completely at home, Courtney was trying to. The ringing doorbell put a knot in her stomach. She was really hoping that it wasn't the person she'd been avoiding.

Getting up from the couch, Courtney unlocked and opened the door. She was quite surprised to find Stu standing there. But she was relieved to see him instead of anyone else.

"Stu…what are you doing here?"

"I was just in the neighborhood, and I figured I would see how you were doing," he lamely replied.

Courtney laughed. "You live in the neighborhood. Try again, Romeo."

Stu smiled sheepishly. "I was bored at home…and I…I felt like stopping by to see what you were up to."

She raised an eyebrow at her visitor. "You missed me?" she questioned.

"I wouldn't say missed," he defensively refuted.

"Oh really?"

"Maybe a little bit," he relented.

She smiled. "Well, you can come inside, if you'd like to," she invited.

"Thank you." Stu walked inside. Courtney shut and locked the door behind him. She sat back on the couch. He sat next to her.

"So…this is your home? It's beautiful. You must have been making good money to get a place like this," he commented.

"Well…I know it wasn't cheap," she replied, feeling slightly uncomfortable even talking about the house. "So, what was it that made you miss me?"

"I dunno. I guess I missed your teasing and nasty attitude towards me…I missed whatever it is that we have."

"What we have?"

"Yeah…"

"Care to explain?"

He thought for a moment. "We just have this chemistry. You drive me completely insane. You make it fun, Courtney. I never know what I'm to expect from you."

"Please don't tell me you're like…in love with me or anything," she shot back.

"You think I'm in love with you?"

"You're the one talking about our chemistry," she teased with a shrug.

He smirked. "You really love busting my balls, don't you?"

"Of course I do. And you love it."

"When it comes to you, I've told you, it's like I've met my match. I never thought I'd see that day come along."

"Yeah? Sweetie, I'm more of a badass than you'll ever be," she assured him.

"I bet. But seriously…I have a lot of fun with you."

Courtney smiled. "I have fun with you, too. I mean, I love nothing more than just giving you a boner and then, leaving you to deal with it on your own."

"Of course you do. You're sadistic."

She laughed. "I am. We just get under each other's skin."

"That we do." He paused. "So…you live here alone?" he asked, prying just a little bit.

"No. My boyfriend is upstairs," she quipped.

Stu's entire world stopped. "B-boyfriend?" he asked in disbelief.

"Whoa. Calm down. I was kidding. I'm alone here. If I had a boyfriend, you'd know at this point."

"Oh. Okay." False alarm. He'd almost just had a mini-heart attack. "I don't see any pictures or anything."

"I only moved in about a month ago. I suck at unpacking. Besides, who knows how long I'm going to be here anywhere…"

"You're planning on leaving?"

"No. But…you never know."

"Where'd you move from?"

"Do you think I'm that stupid? I know you're trying to get information from me here."

He smiled. "Of course I am. I'm always trying to find out as much as I can about you. You don't give much away."

"Well, nosy, I moved here from New York," she finally answered him.

"What did you do there?"

Courtney shrugged. "I don't know."

"You're lying."

"Obviously."

"Come on, Courtney, why won't you tell me?" he groaned, frustrated.

"Because it's not your business…not anyone's business," she sharply shot back. "Seriously, Stu. Don't push it."

"Why are you so secretive?"

"Why are you so nosy?"

"Because you're so secretive," he replied.

She rolled her eyes. "You're such a pain in my ass."

Stu gave her a smile. "I love it." Courtney turned her body to stretch her legs out across the couch, over Stu's lap. He rested his hands on her calves. "You're a tease," he accused, raising an eyebrow at her.

"If you had a problem with it, you'd have been gone already. Besides, you're on my turf now, pal."

The pair laughed. "Alright. So, you keep a lot of secrets. What can I know?" Stu asked her.

"I mean, you know the basics already. I'm twenty-five. Dead mom. Dad skipped out when I was a fetus. I moved here from New York. I love to tease the shit out of you," she listed, throwing a teasing smile in his direction. "I'm five-foot-seven. I weigh about one hundred and twenty-five pounds. You love my boobs. That's pretty much all I've got."

"32DD, right?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh my God. Are you stalking me, you crazy pervert?"

"No. But when you throw your bra at me, do you blame me for checking?"

"Ugh. You're so gross. It's like being with a teenage boy sometimes."

Stu smiled. "I know." Their eyes caught each other for a moment, before they both pulled away. "So, what were you watching before I came here?"

"Oh…uh…Modern Family. Have you ever seen it?"

"Actually, I haven't."

"It's great. Really funny," she told him.

"This is what you do when we're off?"

"I napped after you dropped me off here, got up, showered, and plopped my ass on the couch to watch this," she told him.

"Sounds pretty relaxing."

"Might as well take it easy."

"Yeah. You know…you look really good right now."

"What are you talking about?"

"You look really good. I like how you look…without makeup…in comfortable clothes…your hair up. You look good."

"Are you hitting on me?" Courtney asked him.

Stu laughed. "No. For once, I'm not hitting on you. I'm trying to be a gentleman."

"HA! That's the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard."

"What? Is it that unbelievable that I could actually be a gentleman?"

"Let's take a step back here. It's hard to believe that you could behave like a human being much less a gentleman," she retorted.

Stu shook his head, a smile adorning his lips. "The lady's got jokes."

"Oh trust me, I can go on for days."

"I bet you can."

"So what was your real intention…coming over here?"

"To hang out with you."

"So, what do you want to do?"

He shrugged. "Honestly, I don't care."

"You just wanna be with me? Aw. How cute. Look at big scary Stu Bennett…being all human," she teased him, poking him in the arm repeatedly.

"You're so cruel."

"Because you're such a teddy bear!" Courtney moved onto his lap and wrapped her arms around him, mockingly. As weird as it might seem, this is what Stu wanted. He was so happy that he decided to visit Courtney. He didn't feel lonely anymore. He finally felt happy. As much as he enjoyed this, he knew it only meant trouble.


	10. Chapter 10

Dominos

Chapter 10

Disclaimer: None of this happened in real life. Just in my imagination. Courtney is the only one I own. I wish I owned someone else though ;)

* * *

**A/N: Huge thank you to JoMode and Rossi's Lil Devil for the reviews. You guys make me such a happy lady! Here's the next chapter. Hope you all enjoy it! Leave a review, if you'd like to put a smile on my face ;) Enjoy! Love you guys! XoXoXo**

* * *

Courtney sat on the couch with her bags. It was nearly five in the morning, and she expected Stu to show up at any moment. The time off was fun. She spent a lot of time with Stu. He quit being a complete dickbag and was being a human being. She liked it, and she really enjoyed spending time with him.

The doorbell rang. Slowly, Courtney got up and opened the door. "Morning, sunshine!" Stu cheerfully greeted.

"Ugh. Good morning yourself," she groaned.

"Where are your things?" he asked. She simply pointed to her rolling suitcase and large tote bag. Stu walked passed her and grabbed the bags. He brought them out the door, into the car that was waiting to bring them to the airport.

Courtney made her way outside and shut the door. She locked it and slowly ambled over to the car, as if she were a zombie. Stu opened the door for her and waited for her to scoot in, so he could get in, but she was moving at a snail's pace.

Once she had finally scooted all of the way in, Stu followed behind her, shutting the door behind them.

"I hate waking up early," she complained, a whine in her voice.

"You'll get used to it," he assured her.

"I'll never get used to this. It sucks."

Stu laughed and wrapped an arm around her. Courtney rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. He smiled at her resting on him. He loved it. She looked perfect to him. It didn't matter if she was all done up or if she wore no makeup and sweats. He hated being so damn attracted to her. They were co-workers, and he couldn't get his mind off of her.

He wasn't sure how he was going to handle this whole 'I'm getting addicted to my valet' situation. Stu was also unsure of how she was feeling about him. But he was sure she couldn't be too far off, considering the fact that she was currently napping on his shoulder. Not to mention, they'd hung out and had a great time together.

"I wish we could just stay in and sleep all day today."

Stu laughed. "We have a show tonight, sweetheart. That's as far from a nap as you're going to get."

"Ugh. I know."

"Tonight, I have a match. You're gonna be on camera…looking good and causing trouble, if need be."

"Of course. Who's your match against?"

"Randy Orton. So, Triple H and Seth Rollins will be ringside," he told her.

"Excuse me? Who?" she asked, pulling her head up quite quickly.

"Yeah…"

"No. I'm not getting myself involved in that."

"Why not?" he questioned, confused at her reaction.

"Well…I…I can't…fight a guy. I can kick a woman's ass. But…Triple H?" she quickly replied…almost a little too quickly.

"You don't have to fight him," he replied with a laugh. "Don't be silly now."

Courtney raised an eyebrow. "Okay…"

"Relax. What are you? Nervous? Because it's Triple H?"

"Well…yeah…"

"You'll be fine." He paused. "I thought you didn't follow wrestling. How do you even know who he is?"

"I've caught myself up. Besides…everyone knows who Triple H is. Degeneration X. Hello. Thank you very much."

Stu laughed. "Defensive, aren't we?"

"Oh shut up," she said, pushing him slightly.

"You're such a real person. You pretend to be some tough bad ass. But you're not," he teased her.

"Psh. Don't kid yourself. I am a tough bad ass."

He smiled. "Sure. Whatever you say, princess."

"You want me to punch you, don't you?"

"Perhaps I do," he replied, encouraging her.

"You're gonna get what you want soon, then."

"I bet I will," he replied with a smirk.

* * *

At the Monday Night Raw taping that evening, Courtney had already gotten changed in the locker room. She wore a black Victoria Beckham matte-Satin and crepe Tuxedo-style dress with a pair of black Saint Laurent Tribute Two Textured-Leather pumps.

"Looking good," Stu commented, looking her up and down.

"Perv."

"What? You represent me out there. I need you to look good. I can't have a troll representing me out there. Everyone is watching. I have a reputation to protect."

Courtney rolled her eyes at him. "What am I going to do with you?" she rhetorically asked, shaking her head.

Stu gave her a smile. "You know you like me."

"You're alright sometimes," she relented with a grin.

"You know, you have a really great ass," he spoke with a wink.

"You're relentless."

"At least you know I'm determined."

"I know you're gonna end up with the imprint of my hand across your face," she replied, smirking.

"Feisty."

The exchange between the two had been very light-hearted, instead of hostile or provoking. The level of sexual tension that existed between the two was at an all-time high.

"We have to go out there in a couple of minutes," he told her.

"I know."

"You alright?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, before you were nervous as hell about the whole Triple H thing."

"Yeah. But I mean…what am I gonna do about it now?"

He smiled. "I know. Besides, I'll be there, too."

"Oh. You're gonna be my protector?" she asked with a mocking smirk.

Stu laughed. "You're too much, sweetheart."

"What a change. Look at us…getting along…your penis not pointing in my direction. This is what I call progress."

He rolled his eyes at her. "What can I say? I guess you just don't do it for my penis anymore," he patronized her.

"Well, I know that's not true. Even if you're not shoving a boner in my face, you're constantly eye-fucking me. I doubt your penis is ready to give up on me just yet."

"Touché."

* * *

Courtney and Bad News Barrett had made their entrance and were standing in the ring. Courtney was trying her hardest to keep her nerves in check.

"You alright?" he questioned.

She nodded. "I'm good."

"Just breathe. You look great."

Courtney let a smile form on her lips, as she watched Triple H, Randy Orton, and Seth Rollins make their way toward the ring. He took his Intercontinental Championship title off of his waist and handed it to his valet. She held onto it, as she climbed out of the ring. She stood on the opposite side of the ring from the two suit-clad men who weren't in the ring, known to the WWE Universe as Triple H and Seth Rollins.

The match began. Courtney focused her attention on cheering for Bad News Barrett. She did all that she could to try to ignore the staring eyes of Triple H from the other side of the ring. But it was very distracting. It caused her to feel significantly more self-conscious than she would have been had be not been there.

The brunette had to force herself to focus on the Superstar in the ring with whom she'd been spending nearly all of her time. She hit the apron with her hands, as Randy Orton was currently beating Barrett down.

"Come on, Bad News!" she yelled. She looked at the Englishman, though her attention was quickly stolen by the storyline COO of the WWE. Their eyes locked. She felt exposed and beyond vulnerable at that moment. She quickly pulled her eyes away from him.

As expected, Randy Orton eventually got the pin, though the two put on a good match. She helped Stu out of the ring, and they made their way back up the ramp.

Once they got backstage again, Courtney handed to title back over to Stu. He took it from her. "Thank you. You know, you're good out there. You look really great, too. I like having you in my corner."

Courtney gave him a genuine smile. "I like being there."

"Excuse me, Stu. I need to borrow Courtney from you for a few moments," an all-too familiar voice interrupted the pair.

The brunette turned to face the Superstar she had been avoiding. Fear resided in her eyes. "I'm sorry. We're actually busy," she quickly replied.

"It's actually very important." He cringed at the sound of his voice.

"Alright, Paul," Stu relented for her, confused as to why Courtney had tried to dismiss him so quickly. He knew she was nervous about being near him during the match. But this was a little confusing to him.

Paul Levesque led the brunette valet to an empty office, shutting the door behind them to give them some privacy.

"Why are you avoiding me?" he immediately questioned.

"I'm not avoiding you. I'm just busy."

He gave her a look. "Really? Because I call you a lot. I text you constantly. You barely ever pick up, and when you do, you barely let me get a word in before you hang up on me. You never text me back. I'm getting nothing from you, Courtney. I'm just trying to see you and spend a little time with you."

"Well, I have a job to do."

"Fine. Then, how's your job going? Do you like it? How's Stu treating you?" he bombarded her with questioned.

"Fine. Everything is fine, Paul."

"Nothing else to say but 'fine'?"

"No." Paul paused. "You look beautiful, Court."

"Thanks."

"I'd really like to spend some time with you," he told her.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you would."

"Come on. I'm trying here. I can force you to see me a lot more. I'm trying to do right by you and give you some space."

"You're right. How rude of me. Thanks for giving me a job. Go fuck yourself, Paul," she sneered, before storming out of the office, slamming the door behind her.

Courtney immediately ran into Stephanie McMahon. "Courtney, I was just looking for you. I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Well, what a small world. I just saw your husband," she sharply responded.

"Oh…well…I actually wanted to talk to you about him."

"Now's not a good time. I don't want to even talk about or to him," she mumbled, before walking away and looking for Stu, leaving Stephanie confused.


	11. Chapter 11

Dominos

Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I only own Ms. Kensington. This isn't real, but if it was, I swear, it would be awesome.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks to JoMode, Rossi's Lil Devil, Sonib89, and DenyingTheTruth (Glad you're back!)! The reviews made me very happy...and all too excited to post the next chapter. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Let me know what you think. Love you guys! XoXoXo**

* * *

That night, Courtney and Stu had finally made their back to their hotel room. He put their bags down and shut the door. She sat on the couch and took her heels off.

"You've been really quiet since that whole thing with Paul," Stu spoke, wanting to figure out what was going on with her reaction to him…and the fact that she seemed really pissed off when she found him in the locker room.

"Oh? Have I?"

He gave her a look. "You know you have. What's with that?" he curiously asked, sitting next to her.

She shrugged. "Nothing. Just talking to one of my bosses," she replied, standing up. "Can you unzip me, please?"

He stood up behind her and unzipped the dress, knowing she probably wasn't going to tell him anything. She grabbed her bag of clothes and brought it into the bathroom with her. She quickly changed into a pair of short black shorts and a hot pink sports bra. She took her makeup off and put her hair up in a messy bun on top of her head.

Courtney walked out of the bathroom, bringing her bag with her. She dropped it at the foot of her bed. She turned around and came face-to-bare chest with Stu. He wore only a pair of boxers, his hands on his hips.

"Hi," she said, as her eyes traveled up his body to meet his.

"Court, you know, you can tell me what's going on with…whatever it is that's going on," he spoke, his voice sincere.

"Stu, it's fine, okay? Please, I'd really rather you just dropped it."

"Fine," he relented. "Just tell me the truth…are you honestly alright?"

She gave him a smile and slowly nodded. "I'm good, Stu," she assured him.

"Alright." He paused for a moment. "I know I've said it a few times, but you look great without any makeup on. I love it."

"Are you trying to flatter me or something?"

"No. But if it helps my case, I won't complain." He snaked a hand around her body, which came to rest on her lower back.

She smiled. "Getting turned on already?"

"I have a problem controlling myself when it comes to you," he admitted.

"Why me, Stu? All of these chicks would jump on your cock without any hesitation. You can take your pick. But instead, you stick around with me teasing you and giving you a constant case of blue balls."

"That should answer your own question, sweetheart. They're easy. There's no challenge. I don't have to try. It makes is a lot less fun when you don't have to do anything to make it happen. You're an actual prize. Because if I managed to get into your pants, it'd be a legitimate accomplishment."

"I'm not gonna lie, it's nice to know that you think my vagina is a prize to you," she replied with a laugh.

"You have no idea, sweetheart. I've never had to put so much effort in, but it makes it all so much more fun. If you ever actually gave him, I'd probably lose it before I managed to even get all the way in," he joked with a laugh.

"I'm not gonna lie…I might be the one with the power here, but sometimes, it's really hard to resist you," she admitted.

Stu smiled. "That's good to know. Sometimes, I feel like you're really not interested in me at all."

"It isn't about that, Stu. I just have a lot going on right now. At this point, we're getting pretty close, but I can't get too close to anyone. At least not any time soon," Courtney explained, almost regretfully.

"I just…ugh. You can't understand. I just want you so badly. I can't even enjoy…taking care of business on my own without thinking about you."

"Ummm…thank you?"

He laughed. "I didn't mean it to be disrespectful."

"Well, then, thank you for thinking about me when you're jerking off."

"I'm telling you, it's so hard to not be so into you and stuck on you."

Courtney smiled. "You have a great body," she said, her eyes, checking him out.

He pulled her a bit closer to him, so her body was touching his. "Thank you. You have a body that strippers wish they had."

"Are you telling me that I look like a stripper to you?" she questioned, her brow furrowed. "Who says that?"

"It was supposed to be a compliment."

"Oh really? It's a compliment to be told that I look like I should be a stripper?"

"I meant a hot stripper."

Courtney glared at him. "Hey, that's cool. Just keep objectifying me. It's really working out well for you, Stu," she shot at him.

"Court, I just meant that you have a very sexy body…the kind that people who work in the sex industry would be envious of. Besides, maybe strippers aren't considered to be working in a respectable occupation, but there's nothing wrong with it. People have to do that they have to do to make a living," he tried to explain.

"Don't make that comparison ever again, or you'll never get to touch any part of me ever again," she threatened.

Stu raised an eyebrow, confused about her reaction, though it certainly posed some theories to him. "Alright," he relented. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

The brunette took a deep breath. "It's fine."

He stepped toward her and pushed some of her stray hairs behind her ear. "God, you're so beautiful," he sincerely spoke, his eyes fixed on the woman before him.

"I need to go to bed," she said, taking a step away from him.

"Please not yet."

"I'm tired," Courtney told him, turning and walking over to her bed. She climbed in. Stu just stared at her. "Goodnight."

Stu took a deep breath and climbed into his own bed, his eyes still in Courtney's direction. He wasn't sure what exactly was going on with her, but he was really concerned about whatever it was. Stu knew that she had secrets that she'd refused to divulge. But he had a feeling that Paul was involved. And maybe something having to do with strippers. He knew that this would be yet another night of shitty sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Stu was up early, seeing as he barely had any sleep. But Courtney had some difficulty sleeping, as well, and was up fairly early. Both were still in their beds.

"Good morning," Stu greeted, when he noticed that she was awake.

"Morning."

"I'm really sorry about last night," he apologized.

"It's fine," she said, giving him a small smile. "How'd you sleep?"

"Like rubbish," he replied.

"I didn't fare much better."

"Do you wanna come in here with me?" he asked, holding the blanket open for her to join him in his bed.

She laughed. "You think that's really a good idea?"

"I think it's a great idea."

Courtney gave him a look and thought for a moment. She got up and walked over to him. She climbed into the bed next to him. Stu wrapped his arms around her. She rested her head on his chest. She hated to admit how good this felt. In fact, Courtney was pretty sure she'd be able to sleep like a baby, if she slept like this every night.

"I was thinking about going to the gym a little later the morning. Do you want to join me?" Stu invited.

"That sounds like a good idea. I'll come with you." She paused and gave him a look. "Seriously, Stu? You can't keep your dick under control?" she questioned, feeling his seemingly ever-present erection pressed up against her.

"I can't help it. I'm sorry. Listen, you're absolutely beautiful. Your body is incredible. And you're laying with me in my bed. These things just…you know…pop up sometimes," he tried to explain himself.

Courtney smirked at him. "Oh really?" she asked, having decided to have some fun torturing Stu. She wrapped her leg around his waist. He sucked in a deep breath and hesitated for a moment, before he ran his hands up her thigh. His hand gripped the flesh, as it neared her ass, which he was considering heading towards.

"You love torturing me, don't you?" he breathed.

She bit her lower lip and slowly nodded. "You love it when I torture you, don't you?" she asked, her voice seductive.

Stu nodded slowly, as he pulled her closer body against him. He pressed his forehead to hers, as his eyes were glazed over with lust. She ran her hand up his arm. "You have no idea how badly I want you."

"I can feel it," she repeated with a smirk. She pushed him on his back and sat on top of him, causing his eyes to roll back in his head. She leaned over his body, his hands grasped her ass, as her body came into contact with his incredibly sensitive dick.

"I want you so bad," he groaned.

"I bet you do," she said, her lips pressing a kiss to his neck. He grabbed her hips and guided her body onto his now throbbing erection. He rubbed her covered core against the rigid pole, which was clearly bringing him to a new level of pleasure. Which was precisely why she decided, at that moment, to climb off of him.

"What?! No! Please! I need this, Court!" he begged her.

Courtney smiled. "I'm not getting you off," she refused.

"Oh my God. I can't believe you're doing this to me," he whined.

"Why can't you take care of it? You have two fully functional hands."

"Please?"

She sat on the edge of his bed. "I can't. That's not how we do things here," she replied, knowing that what she was doing was mean. "Now, I'm going to get changed to go work out. I'll be back in a minute." She stood up and grabbed her clothes. She walked to the bathroom, her back to Stu. She put her clothes on top of the bathroom counter. She pulled her sports bra off, quickly followed by her shorts, allowing him to see her body, completely bare from the back. His eyes focused on her ass. Courtney looked back at him, over her shoulder and gave him a smirk, before walking into the bathroom and shutting the door.

* * *

After Courtney and Stu had their workouts for the day, the pair returned to their hotel room. He was still quite unhappy with her for what she had done to him earlier that morning. He had to take of his business on his own, in the bathroom, in order to even be able to go to the gym. Now, with her in a pair of yoga capris and a form fitting tank top, covered in sweat, Stu was still unable to pull his eyes off of her.

"I'm gonna take a quick shower," she said, opening her water bottle up and chugging the rest of her water. Stu's eyes watched a bead of sweat roll down her chest, into her cleavage.

"Care for some company?" he questioned, a smug smirk residing on his lips.

She laughed, putting the empty bottle down on the hotel room desk. "No, but I appreciate the offer."

He smirked and brought his hands onto her hips, pulling her body to his. "You're so hot," he growled.

"I'm all sweaty," she refuted, pushing him back. He stepped back up, replacing his hands on her hips.

"To be honest, love, that doesn't turn me off at all."

Courtney smiled. "You're really desperate to fuck me, huh?"

"You haven't the least idea of how badly," he replied. She rested her hands on his chest.

"I'm not gonna lie to you, if things were different, I'd be more than happy to oblige you," she admitted.

"What do you mean 'if things were different'?"

"I mean, if this wasn't a game and a series of us screwing around, and I didn't have all of my baggage. But I also don't sleep around, Stu," Courtney explained.

He furrowed his brow. "You think you're just another conquest to me?"

"Of course, I am. You've told me that I'm a prize to you."

"That doesn't mean I want to fuck you and dump you," he refuted.

"Oh yeah? So what do you want to do with me?" Courtney inquired.

"I want to take you out to dinner, have a great time, come back to our room, spend the entire night showing you more of a great time, and then, spend the next day with you, take you out to dinner again, spend some more time together…"

Courtney looked confused. "I'm not understanding."

"Seriously, Courtney? We may not have known each other for very long, but I know you feel the chemistry between us. I can assure you, I do want to rail the shit out of you very badly, but that doesn't mean I don't want to wake up next to you the next morning. I think we both know that this started out as being just sexual, but it's not just about sex anymore."

She remained silent for a few moments, absorbing his words. "This isn't just about sex to you anymore?"

"Not by a longshot. Maybe that's how it looks to you, but it wouldn't be so intense when we touch, if that was all this was."

"I…I can't do this, Stu. If this was all about sex, it would be okay to keep screwing around and teasing each other. That's one thing. But I can't…get involved with you…not with that…feelings stuff," she said, pulling away from him.

"I don't understand why not. I thought it'd be better that I actually want more than just sex from you."

"Stu, I really can't do that kind of stuff now," Courtney refused.

"But…why not?"

"Because…it's just a terrible idea. It'll ruin everything. I have too much that I'm dealing with to have this kind of situation on top of it."

"Courtney, I may have come off as a complete wanker when we met, but we've spent a lot of time together. You know that I'd never hurt you," he told her.

"First of all, I don't know that. Secondly, this is a terrible idea. Nothing can happen between us. Especially nothing like that. I can't do that whole emotions thing."

"You don't sleep around. You don't date anyone. What's the deal with all of this?"

"The deal is that I don't set myself up to be hurt or taken advantage of."

"I wouldn't do either."

"Listen, Stu, I like what we have. We joke around with each other a lot. I tease the hell out of you at every opportunity that presents itself. I drive you completely crazy, but we get along pretty well. Can we just leave it at that? Please?"

Stu sighed and thought for a moment, before nodding his head. "Alright," he agreed, knowing there was more to this than she was telling him.

"Thank you. Now, like I said before, I'm jumping in the shower," she said, walking away from him. Stu sat on the couch and put his head in his hands. This woman was going to drive him absolutely insane. He didn't know what he was going to do.


	12. Chapter 12

Dominos

Chapter 12

Disclaimer: This didn't actually happen. I own Courtney.

* * *

**A/N: As always, I appreciate the reviews from JoMode, Rossi's Lil Devil, andSonib89. *Sigh* I love the love I'm getting here. Anyways, not to give anything away, but it's still gonna be a bit until we find out Courtney's entire story. It'll be worth the wait (or at least, I hope so). The tension just keeps on rising between these two. I love the suspense. Hope everyone enjoys this one. Love you guys! XoXoXo**

* * *

"You know, I was thinking that since we have off tonight, I might be able to take you out for that dinner that I owe you," Stu suggested nonchalantly, as he and Courtney got settled into their new hotel room.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea," Courtney replied.

"Why not?" he questioned, his eyes focused on her, as she finally looked up at him. "I think it's a great idea. I went ahead and messed up our first dinner together. I want to make it right by you," he explained.

"I…um…I don't think that's a very good idea," she repeated herself, before looking away from him.

"Please?" he pleaded with her. "I want to show you the real me."

"Stu, I think we need to start being a lot more careful."

"What do you mean?" he questioned.

"We're really pushing this. It was one thing when you would make inappropriate comments about me and about my body, and I would rub up against you just to tease you and turn you on for my own sick, twisted pleasure. But when you're looking to spend time with me, and looking for us to be a lot more…affectionate towards each other…that's going a little further than it should," Courtney told him, warningly.

Stu put his hands on his hips. "Courtney, I promise you that I'm not trying to manipulate you or take advantage of you or mislead you or anything like that. I'm just simply trying to take you out to dinner tonight…a dinner that we already went out on but was completely ruined because I'm a fucking moron with a big mouth, who doesn't know when to not put my oversized foot in said mouth," he spoke. Courtney knew that he was being sincere towards her. But she was more concerned about the possibilities that the prospect of going out to dinner held, especially knowing that this was more than sexual to him.

"We've already complicated things…a lot. I just don't want to do even more damage to what should be a working relationship."

"You know very well that we don't just have a working relationship. Not in the least. I'm too busy always trying to play grab ass with you, and you're too busy teasing me to the point that I have to run off and take care of business in the bathroom because you won't do it for me. I'm not asking for anything other than for you to come out to dinner with me. No strings attached. No funny business. I promise. I'm not trying to do anything else."

Courtney took a deep breath and shook her head, knowing that she was making a decision that could really bite her in the ass. "Against my better judgment, fine. I'll go to dinner with you. But don't fuck this up. Please."

Stu smiled, elated that she'd agreed to dinner. "I won't. You won't regret this."

The brunette finally allowed a smile to escape her lips. "Sure, I won't. You better hope you don't make me regret this."

"I'm gonna make sure that we have the best time ever tonight…and I already made reservations, so…make sure that you get dressed up again."

"Oh my God. You're turning this into a date," she accused.

"No. I'm just trying to make up for what I did when you first got here, and I was a complete bastard to you."

She rolled her eyes. "I bet."

* * *

That night, Courtney was putting the finishing touches on her look for the evening. She was unsure of how the night was going to go, but she was trying to remain confident in Stu. She just didn't trust that he wasn't going to try to woo her. She knew how he felt about her, and she knew that he wasn't going to give up trying to pursue her.

She looked in the bathroom mirror. Her makeup was perfect. She put her hair up in a simple updo. Courtney had taken her time deciding on what to wear to this dinner. And she had decided on an Emilio Pucci one-shoulder Sheer Gold dress. She paired it with her Jimmy Choo collar mirrored-leather sandals. She walked out of the bathroom, feeling anxious, hoping that he would like what he saw. Stu's back was to her. She grabbed her Marchesa clutch. It bothered her that she actually felt nervous and self-conscious. She wanted to look good for the man that she was trying to keep from wanting more than what they had. She took a deep breath.

"Alright. I'm ready when you are," Courtney spoke. Stu quickly turned around to face her, as he was still adjusting his tie. She was really surprised to notice that he had a tie on. She, then, noticed that he was wearing a suit, with the jacket laying on the couch. He had on black pants, a dark red shirt, and a black tie.

"Wow," he breathed, his eyes coming to rest on the woman standing on the other side of the room.

"What?" she asked, feeling unsure about how she looked. His eyes made her question herself. She hated that he had that kind of effect on her. "Do I look alright? Maybe I should change? This dress doesn't look right on me…"

"No…no…you look…incredible," he assured her, his eyes taking in the sight. "Seriously, Court. You look absolutely beautiful."

A smile found its way across her lips. "You really think so?"

"Absolutely," he responded.

"You look great. I've never seen you with a tie on," she told him, trying not to blatantly stare at him.

Stu smiled at her. "Thank you," he spoke, his eyes still glued to the brunette.

Courtney couldn't lie. Regardless of how she felt about any feelings that existed between the two, it still felt really nice to be complimented by Stu.

"Um…is my tie sticking out from underneath my collar?" he questioned.

She stepped behind him and examined the collar of the shirt, to see if the tie was sticking out. "I don't see it. You're good," she told him.

"Thank you." He took his jacket and put it on over his shirt. He double-checked that he had his wallet and cellphone in his pockets. "Ready to go?"

"Yup."

"Alright." Stu grabbed the car keys off of the desk. He opened the hotel room door. Courtney walked out into the hallway. He followed behind her, closing the door. The pair walked down the hallway.

Stu felt nervous. She looked so perfect. He wasn't sure how he was going to be able to control himself tonight and not try to push the limits of their relationship. But he had to keep his word. Stu needed her to trust him.

As they approached the elevators, one set of doors opened. Danielle stepped out, sweaty, in a pair of shorts and a tank top. Courtney resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the sight of the blonde's face lighting up at the sight of the Englishman.

"Hey guys," she greeted, a smile plastered on her face.

"Hi Danielle," Stu greeted her.

"Hey" was all Courtney managed to muster, in an attempt to control her intense dislike…or hatred…for her.

"You two are all dressed up," she commented, placing a hand on Stu's arm for a moment, before allowing her arm to return back to her side.

"Yes. We're actually headed out to dinner," he explained to her.

"Oh. Like a date or something?" Danielle questioned, some disappointment in her tone. Courtney resisted the urge to smile at that.

"Not exactly, but I am taking Courtney out."

"Oh…well, then, maybe you two would like some company…since it isn't a date," the blonde suggested.

Courtney did her best to not gag in front of them. She didn't feel like having to punch Danielle in the face in the middle of the hotel. That would not look good. Besides, she liked the dress she was wearing, she didn't want to stain it with that bitch's blood.

"Actually, I only made reservations for the two of us. But maybe some other time," Stu spoke, trying to be polite.

Courtney was relieved that Stu told her she couldn't join them. Of course, it didn't make her feel very good to hear him tell her that maybe she could go out with him some other time. As much as she hated to admit it, Courtney found herself to be very jealous whenever Danielle made her way into the picture.

"Alright. I'll have to take you up on that. Maybe the two of us can have a nice…dinner…or a date."

Courtney was getting really annoyed now. She rolled her eyes, walked into the elevator, ignoring the blonde who didn't know how to not act like a bitch. She roughly pushed the button for the lobby.

"Well, we're going to be later for dinner. I'll see you later, Danielle," Stu said, stepping into the elevator with Courtney, as the doors began closing without him in the elevator car, causing the doors to reopen.

"Bye Stu," she said with a little wave to the Englishman, a flirtatious tone in her voice. As the elevator doors finally shut, Courtney didn't resist the urge to make a gagging motion. Danielle was just too much for her to have to deal with.

"What was that about?" Stu asked her.

"What was what about?" she replied, pretending to have no idea what he could be talking about.

"You were a little rude to her," he replied. "Well, more than a little."

She thought for a moment, finding her body temperature rise just thinking about what had transpired. "You know, you're right, Stu. My sincerest apologies. I should have gone back to the room and left you two alone," she spitefully spat.

Stu raised a confused eyebrow. "Am I missing something here?"

"Apparently, you're missing something really great…a date with the blonde who has quite a beak on that ugly face of hers," Courtney shot back.

"IS something wrong that I'm not quite understanding? I'm really confused," he continued questioning her.

"No. Not a fucking thing," she replied, as the elevator doors opened. Courtney quickly walked out, feeling overwhelmed with jealousy and anger. Stu followed behind her. He grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Courtney, stop it! What the hell is your problem?"

"You can take that stupid bitch out to dinner, since that's what you'd obviously prefer," Courtney offered.

Stu furrowed his brow. "Who? Danielle?" he asked, confused.

"Yeah. She's the one who's so desperate to get on top of that dick. And I'm not the one putting out here. Maybe you shouldn't be taking me out anywhere and should start taking her out to dinner…and wherever the hell else you want to take her."

"Courtney, you know I'm not taking you out to dinner to sleep with you," he told her, his voice calm.

"Clearly. You don't need me to fuck you when you can just come back afterwards and fuck blondie."

Stu allowed a smirk to make its way across his face. "Courtney, don't take this the wrong way, but…are you jealous?" he questioned her.

"That's ridiculous."

"Answer the question, love."

"No! I'm not jealous. In fact, I'm so not jealous that I'm the complete opposite of jealous!" she quickly and adamantly defended herself.

Stu laughed. He pulled her closer to him and leaned down so that only she could hear him speak. "I would much rather go to dinner with you and know that there's no way in hell I'm getting any than to go to dinner with her…or anyone else…and know I would get it."

She gave him a suspicious look. "Oh really?"

"You really have to question me on that? Where am I now? Who am I with right now about to go out to dinner?" he asked her.

"With me," she mumbled in reply.

"Exactly. Now, please, let's go to dinner and have a great night. And don't even waste your time focusing on Danielle. Alright, sweetheart?"

Courtney nodded. He tilted her chin up with his finger and pressed a small kiss onto her forehead. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and the two headed towards the garage, where the car was parked.

"I can't believe you'd get so jealous of Danielle," he told her with a laugh.

"I wasn't jealous."

"Oh really? You actually expect me to believe that?"

"Well, she acts like a complete idiot. It's frustrating to watch her fawn all over you, when I'm hungry and trying to go to dinner."

"Because you're jealous?"

"No."

Stu laughed. "You may try to deny it every chance you can, but I think that you like me…at least just a little bit."

"Oh don't flatter yourself."

"I'm not. You're the one flattering me. You just keep on stroking my ego. If I have such a massive ego, it's because you've given it to me."

She nudged him with her shoulder. "Don't press your luck."

The two finally arrived at the rented car that was waiting in the garage. He opened Courtney's door for her. She got in. Stu got in on the driver's side. He started it. "I promise you, I'm going to make this a much better experience than the last one," he assured her. He typed the restaurant's address into the navigation system in the car.

Courtney smiled. "I hope so."

He pulled out of the parking lot and followed the directions. "You know, you look absolutely stunning tonight," Stu told her.

"Thank you. You look pretty handsome yourself."

"Thank you. We look pretty good together, eh?"

"Don't get all mushy on me now, Bennett."

"I'm not. I'm just saying…we're two very good-looking people," he defended himself.

"Riiight."


	13. Chapter 13

Dominos

Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I only own Courtney. This isn't real, so don't…I don't know…act like it is if you were to meet any of these guys? As if you didn't know that…

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**A/N: Ughhh I couldn't help myself. Second chapter posting today lol A massively huge thank you to my peoples: JoMode, DenyingTheTruth, Rossi's Lil Devil, and Sonib89. You guys are the reason I updated again today. I just want everyone to know the answer to all of their questions...oh man. This is crazy lol I hope you enjoy this one. And I'll probably be updating again tomorrow anyway because I just can't help myself. If I don't it's because my boyfriend's parents are coming over tonight and staying until Sunday. Wish me luck lol Anyways, love you guys! XoXoXo**

* * *

When Stu and Courtney were finally seated at the restaurant, they sat across from each other at a small, secluded table situated in the back corner of the restaurant. It was a cute, romantic, little Italian place.

"So, you like Italian food?" Courtney asked him.

"I do," he replied with a nod.

"You've taken me to Italian restaurants for both of our dinners."

"Well, you did say it was your favorite."

"You remembered that?"

"Of course I did."

"I'm impressed."

"Well, I do try very hard," he said with his signature arrogant smile.

"Oh God. You're so full of yourself."

He laughed. "You know you've got quite an ego on you, yourself."

"I don't."

"Oh bollocks."

"I don't!"

"You mean to tell me that you have no ego, when you flaunt that body around like it's no big deal."

"I use sex as a defense mechanism."

"Against what?"

"Against a lot of things. It isn't because I walk around thinking I'm the shit or anything," she explained.

"I mean…have you ever taken a look at your body? You have an understandable excuse to be arrogant about it."

Courtney blushed. "I don't agree, but thank you. That's very nice of you to say."

He gave her a look. "You should agree."

She shrugged. "Can I ask you a weird question?"

"Of course."

"Have you slept with Danielle?"

"That's a little personal, don't you think?" he replied with a raised eyebrow, unsure of why she was asking.

"That's a yes."

"No, it isn't. I haven't slept with Danielle. In fact, I haven't slept with any of the Divas," he told her.

"Really?"

"Yes, really. But I did hang out with Danielle once…at a bar," he admitted.

"Oh? So why didn't you seal the deal?"

"Because I received a call from Stephen…Farrelly…you know…Sheamus…and he needed my help with a row he was having with his girlfriend. So, I brought her home, and I went to Stephen's," he explained.

"Oh…so, I guess, you're one of those bros before hoes kind of guys, huh?" she asked with a smirk.

He laughed. "I guess I am…when it comes to those kinds of girls."

"Those kinds? What exactly does that mean?"

"You know, the ones who are just trying to get in a Superstars' trunks?"

"Ah. Yes. Is that what you consider me?"

He let out a laugh. "Right. I've never had to try so hard to try to get someone into my trunks. Unsuccessfully, I might add."

"That's true," she said with a proud smile.

"Do you want to know something?" he asked her.

"Sure."

"I've never, in my entire life, been so attracted to someone the way that I'm attracted to you," he told her.

Courtney smiled. "Well, thank you."

"I'm a little upset that you don't feel it, too," he admitted.

"Whoever said that I don't feel attracted to you? I know I certainly didn't. If I didn't find myself attracted to you, do you think I would have gotten so jealous when blondie was trying her damnedest to interrupt our date and score one of her own?" she asked.

A smile found its way across Stu's face. "You called this a date," he said.

Courtney looked like a deer caught in headlights. "I-I meant our dinner," she quickly tried to correct.

"No. You meant exactly what you said."

"Welcome to La Formaggio. I'm Dana, and I will be taking care of the two of you this evening," the waitress greeted the pair. "Can I start you two off with something to drink?"

"Can we have a bottle of the 1998 Hugel et Fils Riesling?" he ordered.

Courtney raised an eyebrow at him. Sure, she was planning on ordering wine. She loved wine. But not a $120 bottle of wine. That was a bit much.

"Alright. I'll go get that for you, and I'll take your dinner orders when I come back," the waitress spoke.

"Thank you very much," Stu spoke with a kind smile, before she turned around and left the two of them.

"Stu, you didn't have to get such an expensive bottle of wine," Courtney told him, unsure of why he was spending so much money, when he wouldn't be getting any.

"I'm on a date with the most beautiful woman on the planet. I'm sparing no expense," he told her.

"It isn't a date. It's just dinner."

He smirked. "Sure it is. Whatever you have to tell yourself, sweetheart."

Courtney rolled her eyes. "Oh boy. You're really never gonna let this go."

"Absolutely not."

* * *

Dinner was absolutely perfect. The conversation flowed effortlessly. The wine flowed quite freely, too, as Courtney was quite intoxicated after finishing off the second bottle of wine. Stu had only two glasses, as he knew that he would be the one driving them back to the hotel. He was happy, though. Everything was perfect.

As the two walked back to the car, Courtney was actually kind of upset that their big night out was coming to an end. He opened the door to the car and helped her get in.

As Stu got in his seat and shut the door, his cell phone began ringing. He pulled his phone out of his pocket. A picture of Stephen Farrelly was on the screen. He looked at Courtney.

"You can take it," she said with a smile.

"It'll be quick."

"It's perfectly fine."

"Hello," Stu greeted. He raised an eyebrow. "I'm actually headed back to the hotel. Oh…let me ask Courtney. Yeah. We went out for some dinner." He pulled the phone away from his ear. "A bunch of people went out to the club across the street from the hotel. Stephen wants to know if we'd like to join them."

"Do you wanna go?" she asked him.

"I mean, I would like to, but we've been having a really great time. I don't want that to end yet," he told her.

"We can go," she replied with a smile.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

He put the phone back to his ear. "Alright. We'll be there in probably thirty or so minutes," he told his friend. "Alright. Goodbye." Stu ended the phone call. "Are you sure you want to go tonight, Courtney?"

"Yeah. I'm sure it'll be fun."

"Okay."

As Stu drove back to the hotel to drop the car off, he and Courtney were mostly quiet, though it was a comfortable silence. She had to admit, it was difficult to resist Stu, especially considering how great he had been lately.

"Do you want to change before we go?" he asked.

"Yeah. That'd probably be a good idea," she replied.

"Alright. I want to take this tie and jacket off."

She smiled at him again and noticed his hand resting on the gear shifter. She bumped his hand gently with her knee. Stu looked at her and took note of the smile adorning her face. He hesitated momentarily, before moving his hand onto her knee and bringing it up a couple of inches, onto her bare thigh. He looked at his hand on her leg and looked back up at her. The smile was still there. He knew that he wasn't imagining that this was happening. She was actually encouraging him to be affectionate towards her.

"I'm happy that you agreed to go back out to dinner with me," he said.

"So am I."

"I had a lot of fun."

"Me, too."

"We're gonna have a lot of fun at this club, too."

"I hope so."

He gave her thigh a gentle squeeze.


	14. Chapter 14

Dominos

Chapter 14

Disclaimer: This is fiction. I own Courtney.

* * *

**A/N: As always, thank you very, very much for the reviews: JoMode, DenyingTheTruth, Sonib89, and LilCountry24. Reviews make me very, very happy. Hope you're all continuing to enjoy Courtney and Stu...and I know there's quite a few mysteries that need to be solved...especially her involvement with Triple H...hmmm...lol Anyways, this chapter is a bit longer. Hope you all enjoy! Love you guys! XoXoXo**

* * *

When Courtney and Stu got back up to their room, she immediately went to find a new outfit to wear to the club. Truth be told, she was quite confident that Danielle was going to be there, acting just as flirty and giggly as she usually did, and she did not want to take any risks with her being around Stu. Courtney didn't want her enticing him but knew, undoubtedly, that she would. However, she was going to make it so that she didn't get Stu's attention. Courtney liked the attention she had gotten from him. It was obvious that she liked him. She didn't want to risk having to watch the two of them all over each other, while she sat on the side and had to feel like the blonde won.

Courtney quickly changed and emerged from the bathroom, dressed in her black GUESS Open Back Chain dress. She put her Versace Studded leather sandals on. She walked over to the mirror by the bed. She pulled the two pins out of her hair that had been holding it up. She shook out of her long, brown hair.

Stu turned to look at her. His mouth dropped open. She turned and gave him a smile, walking over to him. "Would you mind holding my ID and money?" she asked him. "I have nowhere to put them with this dress on."

Between the fact that the dress was dangerously low-cut, and the hem was temptingly short, Stu couldn't help but salivate at the sight of her. "Uh huh" was all that managed to escape his parted lips.

"Thank you so much." She handed him the ID and money. He took them from her, before slipping them inside his wallet. "You look really great, Stu," she said, giving him another smile, happy that she had him completely focused on her.

"Thank you. You really must be driving to drive me absolutely mad," he said, his eyes running up and down her body.

Courtney gave him a confused look, though she knew exactly what he was talking about. She was in control. As usual.

"You are…very…very…sexy."

"Oh. Thanks, Stu. You ready to go?"

"Yeah."

With that, the pair left the hotel room and made their way to the elevators. The entire journey across the street to the club consisted of Stu staring, and Courtney feeling confident that she had Danielle beat.

They made their way inside of the club. The music was loud. He led her over to the bar, his hand resting on her lower back, guiding her.

"What would you like?"

"Just a Budweiser."

"Alright." He ordered a beer for each of them. While they waited the few moments for their drinks, Stu's eyes were glued to Courtney. He was so turned on by how great she looked and how badly he craved her.

The bartender handed him the Budweiser for her and a Guinness for him. He handed her the bottle of Budweiser. She took it. "Thank you."

"Hey, you two!" Stephen greeted them.

"Hey!" Stu greeted.

"Hi," Courtney shyly spoke, as she hadn't met the Irish Superstar yet.

"Come over and hang out by all of us," the redhead invited the pair. Courtney and Stu followed him.

Stu noticed that most of the guys in the club were staring at Courtney. It made him feel proud…and yet a little possessive at the same time. He didn't want them thinking that they had a chance with her. He was, in no way, going to share her with anyone else. Truth be told, Courtney didn't want anyone else's attention. She only wanted Stu's.

She glanced at the Englishman. He looked back at her and smiled. He leaned in towards her ear. "You're popular with the male population here," he spoke.

She smiled at him. "I don't care about any of them. There's only one guy I'm interested in being popular with," she replied.

He wrapped an arm around her waist, his hand on her hip.

When the pair looked away from each other, they saw that they were immersed in a group of WWE Superstars and Divas, including Danielle, who was hastily making her way over to the pair, obviously only focused on one of them.

"Hey Stu," she said with a flirty smile.

"Hey," he replied, taking a drink of his beer.

"You look great," she spoke. Courtney did her best to not make any faces at her, though the temptation was quite great.

"Thanks, but it's this gorgeous woman here who's the looker," he said, motioning towards Courtney.

Danielle gave her an obviously fake smile. "Sure."

"Oh, don't be silly. You're looking quite sexy, Stu," Courtney spoke, giving Stu a genuine smile, following it up with a fake one aimed at Danielle.

"Thank you, love," he spoke, his eyes catching hers.

"I'm going to go say hello to some of the Divas here. I'll see you later, handsome," she said, giving Stu's arm a squeeze.

"Alright, sweetheart."

"Danielle," she spoke, walking away from the two, knowing that she wasn't going to have to worry about Stu and Danielle being on their own.

Within moments, she noticed that Natalie was walking over to her. "Hey Courtney," she greeted.

"Hi Natalie."

"You look so amazing," the redhead complimented her.

"Thanks! You do, too."

"Come hang out with us!"

"Alright." Natalie led her over to a group of familiar-looking Divas.

"Guys, you all know Courtney, right?" she yelled over the loud music.

Everyone said hello. They were on the dance floor. The two joined the group.

"So…are you and Stu…like…together?" Natalie asked.

Courtney grinned. "I mean…not exactly."

"Well, I hope you know, his eyes are glued to you," Nikki Bella chimed in.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Even with Danielle blatantly throwing herself at him," Brie commented with a roll of her eyes.

"You noticed that, too, huh?"

"Ugh. The bitch hit on my husband. Trust me, she sluts it up as much as one person possibly can for attention," Brie told her.

"Yeah. I've noticed that," Courtney muttered.

"But I really don't think that you've got anything to worry about, though," Nikki said, reassuringly. "Seriously, he can't keep his eyes off of you. I've never seen Stu so hooked on anyone before."

"We're not together or anything…just…friends…I guess."

All three women rolled their eyes. "That's so far from the truth. Even when Stu was with Tori, he never looked at her like that," Natalie pointed out.

"Tori?" Courtney questioned.

"Yeah. Tori…Crawford…you know, Alicia Fox," Nikki clarified.

"Oh…they dated?"

"Yeah. It was a few months ago. It didn't last very long. He lost interest. Seems he's got quickly changing tastes."

"Oh?"

"He can't seem to keep it in his pants for very long. I mean…he doesn't sleep with the Divas, as far as I know, but he flirts and gets a little handsy sometimes."

"He can definitely be hard to handle sometimes," Courtney breathed.

"So, what's going on with you two?" Brie asked her.

She shrugged. "I'm not really sure. He was a little overzealous with me when I first got here, but I didn't let it go. I dished it right back to him. Now…things are just…really…complicated between us, I guess. Before we came out here tonight, he took me out to dinner," the brunette explained to the three Divas.

They smiled. "He obviously likes you a lot," Natalie commented, raising her eyebrows and gently nudging the brunette with her shoulder.

"I dunno…" Courtney refuted.

"He's headed this way," Brie said.

Moments later, Courtney felt Stu's hands on her shoulder. "Hello ladies. I imagine that you're all watching out for my good friend here."

"Of course. We were just chatting with her," Nikki spoke up.

Courtney turned and looked at him, giving the Englishman a small smile. "Just getting acquainted and stuff," she said.

He squeezed her shoulder gently. "I hate to do this, but would you ladies mind if I actually borrowed her for a moment?"

"Sure," Courtney replied. "I'll be back," she said to the women, before Stu escorted her to the outside. "So, what's so important?"

Stu smiled at her. "You're driving me absolutely crazy, Court. Do you know that?" he asked her, with a flirtatious smile.

"What am I doing?" she asked. "Besides, I thought that Danielle was busy keeping you company tonight."

"She tried to. But I couldn't keep my eyes off of you. In fact, while I wasn't listening to her, I think I may have accidentally agreed to go out with her when we're back in Tampa," he told her with a laugh. "I'm going to have to find a way to get myself out of that one." He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Courtney, I'm seriously so crazy about you. I've known Stephen for a really, really long time, and he even commented to me that he's never seen me so stuck on one woman before," he told her.

"Stu, don't do this. It'll just complicate things. You know we don't need that," Courtney told him, her voice low. His eyes were locked on hers.

"You're so perfect," he whispered, a finger wrapping itself in her hair, as his eyes remained focused on hers.

"We should go back inside," Courtney told him. She turned out of his grasp. He frowned and followed her back inside. Courtney walked back over to Natalie, Nikki, and Brie, while Stu walked back over to Stephen, John Cena, and Bryan Danielson.

* * *

The night had gone on with everyone drinking a bit much. Courtney had a lot more fun than she thought she would hanging out with the three Divas. Stu had a lot of fun watching her. She was dancing with the other women she'd been spending her night with, and he was happy that she was hanging out with the Divas. He didn't want to be the only person in the company that she spoke to. He wanted her to have some friends she could talk to…and hopefully convince her to be with him. He made a mental note to try to chat with them and mention that.

Danielle was hanging around Stu, and every once in a while, she would be hanging out with some of the girls from NXT, who had come to hang out backstage for a couple of shows. She was really trying very hard, but Courtney didn't care much about her, at this point. She was so confident that Stu was into her.

Courtney, Natalie, and the Bella's were at the bar doing a shot, when a buzzed Stu appeared behind her, placing a hand on her hip.

"Would you like to go back to our hotel room?" he spoke into her ear, sending tingles throughout her body.

She turned her head to look at him, their lips barely an inch away from each other. "Okay," she agreed.

He smiled. "Alright. I'll go say goodbye to the guys." With that, he turned and walked away from her.

Once he was gone, the women all turned to look at Courtney. "What was that about?" Nikki asked with a smirk.

"Ummm…" She tried not to smile but failed. "I'm actually gonna go…"

The other two women joined Nikki with smirks of their own. "Oh…well, you go enjoy yourself," Natalie told her.

"I will. Thanks for tonight, ladies. I had a lot of fun," Courtney said, slowly walking away from the group. While the other women continued to smirk in her direction.

Courtney waved to them, before turning around and walking around towards Stu, who was waiting for her with a smile of his own.

When she stepped up to him, Stu took her hand in his much larger one, and the pair left the club together. Courtney hoped that Danielle was watching them. They made their way across the street, back to the hotel. They went inside and walked over to the elevators. He pushed the 'up' button. She turned and stood in front of him. His arms grasped her hips tightly. She rested her hands on his shoulders.

"I had a great time tonight," Courtney told him, unable to make her lips stop smiling at the man standing before her.

"Me, too," he agreed.

The elevator doors opened. He backed her into it, still holding onto her hips. She pushed the number four button for their floor. The elevators doors shut behind them.

"You're so beautiful," he spoke, his voice low.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Such a sweet talker."

"It isn't sweet talking. It's the truth."

"I bet," she breathed. The elevator doors opened on their floor. He let go of her hips and turned. Stu took Courtney's hand in his, once again. The pair walked down the hall towards their shared hotel room.

Stu let go of her hand to pull his wallet out of his pocket. He took out the keycard and unlocked the door. He opened it, and Courtney walked inside, followed by the Englishman. He shut the door and turned around finding Courtney standing right there, stopping him in his tracks.

"Hello, sweetheart," he spoke with a smile.

"Hi," she reciprocated. He stepped up to her and wrapped his arms around her, his hands resting on the top of her ass. She wrapped her arms around his torso. "So…you seem to have had a staring problem tonight."

"I can't help it. You're so beautiful," Stu told her.

"I love it when you're eyes are stuck on me."

"I bet you do," he spoke with a smile.

"You know…I think tonight's the night," Courtney spoke, giving him a seductive smile and pressing her body against his.

"For what?"

"For you to make your way inside of me…finally."

He raised his eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

"I want you to get me naked, throw me on that bed, and I want you to fuck the shit out of me," Courtney told him.

"Baby…I can't do that tonight."

"Why not?" she asked, the smile finally disappearing from her face. "You don't want me anymore?"

"Oh…no…that's not it at all. Trust me, I do. I want you more than I've ever wanted anyone or anything in my entire life. But I can't have sex with you when you're drunk. I want you to be able to enjoy every second of it…and remember it the next morning," he explained himself. "Trust me, you're going to want to remember every single second of me being inside of you."

"Fine," she relented with a pout, pulling away from him. She turned around and walked over to her suitcase. She took out a form fitting white burnout t-shirt and a pair of black boy shorts. She walked into the bathroom and shut the door.

Although drunk, Courtney took her makeup off and changed into the pajamas she had taken out of her suitcase. She's picked the shirt because she knew Stu would be able to see everything. And that was exactly what she wanted.

Courtney walked out of the bathroom and saw Stu sitting on the edge of his bed, in a pair of boxers. He looked up and gasped when he saw her. She smiled at his reaction. She walked over to him. Stu brought her hands onto her hips, lifting the front of her shirt up slightly. His eyes were locked on hers. He pulled her closer, so she was standing between his legs. He kept his eyes on her, as he placed a kiss on the exposed skin of her stomach. Hey eyes shut, as the feeling of his lips on her body sent shockwaves running throughout her entire body. He continued placing kisses on her exposed stomach, and she let out an audible moan.

Stu looked up at her smirking. "You like that, baby?"

She nodded. "It feels so good," she moaned. He pulled her down so that she was sitting on his lap.

"We're driving each other crazy," he told her.

"I know." She placed a kiss on his cheek, as she wrapped his arms around his neck. He had one arm around her waist with the other resting on her thigh.

"What are we supposed to do?" he questioned.

Courtney shrugged. "I don't know."

"Me neither. Let's go to bed, love."

"Can I sleep in your bed with you?"

He smiled. "As long as you behave yourself."

"I will."

"Alright." The two got into his bed. Stu had an arm wrapped around her, while her head was on his chest. He took a deep breath, knowing that he wasn't going to be able to fall asleep with her laying in his arms. And it wasn't because he wanted to sleep with her either.


	15. Chapter 15

Dominos

Chapter 15

Disclaimer: This is a fictional tale. Courtney is mine. That sounds evil.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for the wonderful reviews: JoMode, DenyingTheTruth, Sonib89, and LilCountry24. I hope everyone else enjoyed, and I do appreciate all of the reads, follows, and favorites. This chapter is a long one. I hope you all enjoy it. We're starting to get down to the good stuff! Please leave reviews, as I love them very much, and they make me a very happy lady! Enjoy! Love you guys! XoXoXo**

* * *

After that night, things completely changed between Courtney and Stu. And not in the way one would expect it to either. Though they had had a great night together and had seemingly grown a lot closer than they had been before, Courtney had pulled back from him big time. She no longer found herself parading around their hotel room in her underwear, flirting with Stu…teasing him…busting his balls. Hell…Courtney barely even uttered a word to him at this point. And it hurt him a lot to lose what he thought he had been forming with Courtney. He wasn't really sure what he did wrong to make her push him away. In fact, for the first time in a very long time, he thought that he was doing the right thing by her. Or at least he was really trying to.

The pair was backstage at their last live show before they had three days off. It had been a couple of days since their dinner date…a couple of days since Stu felt close to her like he thought he had been.

Courtney had her dress of the evening on, a black Dolce and Gabbana crepe pencil dress, along with her shoes, Christian Louboutin Daffoldile 160mm Kid Leather pumps. Her hair and makeup had already been done. She was leaning against the wall, watching the closed circuit television, showing what was going on in the ring. Stu was ready for his match, though they still had a few minutes before they had to head towards the gorilla position.

"You look really good," Stu complimented, trying to make conversation and break some of the tension that had formed between the two of them.

She looked up at him. "Thanks."

"So…did I do something wrong?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You haven't been speaking to me very much since that night that we went out," he pointed out. "I was just trying to figure out what it was that I had done wrong."

"You didn't do anything wrong," she simply replied.

"Then, why are you acting like this?" he asked her.

"I'm not acting any way."

Stu gave her a look. "Seriously, Courtney? You don't think that you've been acting any differently?"

She shrugged and shook her head. "No."

"Are you bloody kidding me here?" he asked, in disbelief. If she didn't truly believe that she was acting different, then, she must have been delusional.

She rolled her eyes. "I really don't know what it is that you want me to say," she replied, shaking her head.

"I would appreciate the truth."

"Ugh. Stu, you really need to get the hell off of my back, okay?" she spoke, sounding annoyed with him.

"What is your problem?"

"Now is not the time or the place to discuss this. We have to get out there really soon," she dismissed him.

"That's not good enough, Court. I need you to be honest with me. I deserve that much from you."

"You think you deserve something from me? Why is that, Stu? Is it because you harassed me when I got here? Or because you didn't get what you wanted no matter how hard you tried?" she shot at him.

"That's not fair, Courtney. That's complete bullshit, and you damn well know it. I've been trying to make up for being an ass to you."

She laughed bitterly. "You really think I believe that, Stu? You have seriously got to be fucking kidding me. You've already shown me your true colors. I haven't forgotten about that. Do you honestly think I'm that stupid? You think that you can just sweet talk your way into my pants because now you're magically prince charming?" She gave him a sarcastic smile. "Of course you do. That's what all of you seem to think. You all think you can just woo her with your dick, regardless of how you've treated her. That's all it takes. I'm so sick and tired of men like you. They're all I've dealt with for my entire life—men who think that they can just use whatever power of manipulation they think that they have to fuck whatever chick they want," she yelled, at him, clearly angry and upset. "Well, your game is over. I'm no one's whore."

Stu raised an eyebrow. "Who the hell damaged you?" he questioned her, in complete disbelief that she was really saying all of this to him.

"Fuck you," she snarled. "You don't know me at all. You think you're so smart and have me all figured out. I'm done being your little toy. I don't need you playing with me anymore. There are times when I look at you and think that you might actually be different. But I'm a fool for ever thinking that. You're exactly like everyone else. So, from now on, just consider me a co-worker because I'm not going to be anything more than that."

He stood in front of her. "You will never be just another co-worker to me," he sternly told her. "And I'm sure as hell not going anywhere. And, apparently unlike everyone else, you don't have to sleep with me. I'm here for you. Maybe you don't get it because you're so closed off from reality, but I do care about you. Very much so."

"Sure, Stu. And the second you manage to finagle your way into my pants, you'll be out that door before I can even put my clothes back on," she snapped at him.

"Not by a longshot, sweetheart."

"All of you are nothing but a fucking joke. Especially you, Stu. Because if you knew me…the real me…you would run for the fucking hills. Or…you would just use me for all that you possibly can. Or…even better…you would blackmail me. And the thing is…you don't even have to do that to me, Stu. You…" She took a deep breath, feeling the all-too familiar sensation of tears creeping into her eyes. "You can just tell me what it is that you want from me. I'll give it to you. I would just rather you be honest with me. That's all."

Stu's face softened. He still didn't understand what was wrong with her, but he knew that something was seriously wrong with her. "Courtney…"

She shook her head. "Don't, Stu. Don't say a word. Not now. I need to fix myself up because we have to get out there," she spoke, walking over to a mirror. He handed her a tissue. She took it and dabbed at her eyes. She went into her bag and pulled out some black eyeliner and touched up her makeup.

Courtney took a deep breath. "Let's go," she said, walking out of the locker room, followed by Stu. She just wanted this night to be over already.

* * *

After the show had ended, Courtney and Stu went back to their hotel room. He was determined to find out what was really going on with her and why she got so upset with him earlier that night. However, she had no intentions of discussing anything with him.

As soon as the door was shut, Stu spoke. "Are you going to explain to me what happened in the locker room tonight?" he practically demanded an answer from her.

She gave him a look. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me, Courtney. Don't play games with me. Now, what is going on with you? You went completely mad on me back there. Why is that?" he questioned, opting to soften his tone a bit, so as not to sound like an asshole.

"I don't want to talk about this. Especially not with you."

"After everything that has gone on between us, you don't even believe that you can trust me long enough to tell me what's going on with you?"

"At what point did you think I trusted you?"

"Why don't you? After what happened the other night, I would think that you'd see me a lot differently," he pointed out.

She rolled her eyes at him. "And why is that? Because you didn't bang me when you had the chance to?" she asked him.

Stu remained silent. "I don't know it is that you're acting like this towards me. I just want to understand what's going on with you."

"It isn't any of your damn business, Stu. You need to back the hell off of me. You're acting like a nosy teenaged girl. My life isn't some entertaining gossip for you to keep yourself occupied with. It's my life."

"Why are you doing this? I don't understand it. I've really been trying here. And I thought that we were getting somewhere."

"Well, I guess you were wrong."

"I'm not wrong. I know what I did when we first met was completely messed up, but I know things between us were getting better."

"Well, they're not good at all."

"Fine. You want nothing to do with me? Fine, Courtney!" he yelled and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him, causing Courtney to jump.

The brunette rolled her eyes at his dramatic exit. She changed into a pair of black yoga shorts and a Bad News Barrett t-shirt, which she didn't realize was so until after she put it on. But she didn't have the patience to look for another shirt. She was so agitated. She took her makeup off and put her hair up in a ponytail.

Then, Courtney sat on the couch. She knew that she was wrong for acting the way she did towards Stu. It was fear that was causing her to push him away. She knew that he was trying really hard, but she also knew that she was getting in way too deep. And clearly, he was, too. If she kept this up with him, then, she knew he would leave her the first chance that he got. Or he would stick around…and use her. That was how it went for her. That was how it always went for her. That's why she knew better than to trust someone.

But Courtney knew in her heart that Stu wasn't like everyone else. A big part of her knew that he wasn't out to hurt her. But it was her head that knew much better than to fall for that. Regardless, she knew that owed him some sort of an explanation for the way she had been acting since they night that they had gone out. But she also knew that she wasn't ready to spill the details of her life to him quiet yet. There was too much to tell…too much that would undoubtedly make him think very differently of her.

Quite frankly, Courtney loved the way that Stu looked at her. It made her feel like she was special…valued. She didn't want to lose that. She didn't think she could handle it, if he looked at her the way she knew he would.

Looking at the clock, she noticed that he had been gone for about forty-five minutes already. She sighed, deciding that she couldn't let this madness go on any longer. She didn't want him to be upset, and she didn't want him to be mad at her…or worse upset because of her. Courtney stood up, slipped her flip flops on, and grabbed her key card. She quickly left the hotel room, on a mission to find Stu.

Making her way down towards the lobby, Courtney checked the places she thought she would find him. But the hotel bar, restaurant, and the gym all gave her no sign of where he could be. She went outside by the hotel pool. Lo and behold, he was sitting there, on a chair, in his black dress pants and blue button-down shirt…with Danielle right next to him.

Courtney took a deep breath, praying that she would have the patience to talk to Stu with the woman that she damn near hated sitting right there. She kept reminding herself that she had no right to grab that bitch by her hair and knock her teeth down her throat. Besides, that would only get her in a lot of trouble. The last thing she needed was for Triple H to find an excuse to talk to her. Seeing that Danielle had her hand resting on his leg made it all the more difficult to be able to keep control over herself.

"Stu," Courtney spoke from behind the pair.

The both turned and looked at her. "Oh. Courtney. What a surprise," Danielle spoke with a sneer on her face.

"Sorry…if I'm…interrupting something…"

"No," Stu quickly replied.

"Yes," Danielle spoke at the same time.

"I wasn't talking to you, Danielle," Courtney shot at the ballsy blonde. She wasn't going to let her get in between her issues with Stu.

"What's going on?" Stu questioned her, ignoring her words to Danielle.

"I was hoping that once you were done talking to this classy broad, maybe we could go back up to our room and talk," she replied, receiving a glare from Danielle, which Courtney reciprocated with a smile.

"About what?" he asked, curiously.

"I would tell you, but it really isn't any of her business," Courtney replied, shooting a glare to the blonde Diva known to the world as Summer Rae. "And I don't want her listening to what I have to say to you."

"Anything you can say to him, you can say in front of me," Danielle interjected, flipping her hair back.

"Do you think that you're his girlfriend or something? Seriously, at no point since I came over here, do I remember addressing you, unless it was to tell you to mind your own damn business," Courtney snapped at her.

"Well, I know that Stu here would much rather spend his time with me than with you. You're just jealous."

Courtney laughed. "Trust me, with the way the other Divas feel about you and the God awful reputation you've managed to create for yourself in the locker room, you're the absolute last person I would ever be jealous of."

"Excuse me? You don't know anything about me."

"I know more than enough to know that I want absolutely nothing to do with you," Courtney quipped.

"Don't you dare even act like you're better than me or something!" Danielle stood up from her chair.

"Actually, I'm a hell of a lot better than you. I don't walk around my job like some slutbag, hitting on other people's boyfriends and husbands like a cheap whore. I don't show up at people's homes, who I work with and have earned a hell of a lot more respect than I have and ever will, and slap them in the face. What are you gonna do to me, Danielle? Hit me? You'll get your skanky ass fired so quickly that it'd make your head spin. So you may want to rethink doing something that you'll seriously regret."

Stu finally stood up, though he had found it very entertaining to watch the two argue. "Courtney, let's go back upstairs and talk," he said.

Danielle looked pissed off. "Why the hell are you going with her?" she demanded, clearly upset that he had chosen the brunette.

"Because I want to talk to her. Not that that's any of your business. Why do you even care?" he questioned her.

"Because…you know…we have a thing…"

Stu raised an eyebrow. "Right. A thing. Okay." He made his way over to Courtney. "Let's go to our room." The pair made their way back up to their room in complete silence. When they got back into the shared room, Stu sat on the couch. Courtney sat next to him. This silence was incredibly uncomfortable.

"So…I guess I owe you some sort of explanation, huh?" she finally spoke up, feeling nervous about how this was going to go.

"I mean, you don't really owe it to me, but I would really appreciate some sort of explanation as to why you lost your bloody mind on me."

"Well, I need you to understand that it wasn't because you did something wrong. You've been great. It just…after what happened the other night, I guess it got weird for me. But it was a defense mechanism. I don't want to get too close to you, Stu. I know you don't understand why, but I really can't afford to let you in the way you want me to."

"Why not?"

"Because…without getting into too much detail…I've gotten hurt. I've been used and manipulated so many times before. And once that kind of life becomes normal for you, you learn to push people away to avoid having to risk going through it all over again. And truthfully, I couldn't handle it if you hurt me. The easiest way to prevent that is by pushing you away from me, so you don't have the opportunity to."

"Courtney, I have no idea what you've been through. I wish that I did. I can't imagine what has happened to you that is so bad that you're so quick to push people away. I don't know anything about your past, really. But I'm not going to hurt you. I could never do that to you. I care about you too much to hurt you like that. It doesn't matter what you did. I care about you. Your past isn't going to change how I feel for you," he told her. She wanted nothing more than to believe him.

"It isn't that easy, Stu."

"It should be. You know how I feel about you. You can feel it. I know you can. If you didn't, this wouldn't be such a bloody mess."

"Alright, Stu. Say I were to finally give in to you. Say that I actually let my guard down and trusted you. The minute that you find out all about my past…once you know about the skeletons in my closet, a few different things could happen. One, you could just turn your back on me and leave me. Two, you can use me to find out all of the juicy gossip about me and use it to blackmail me to get whatever you want. Three, you'll think much, much less of me and not want me to share your hotel room…or your bed, and you'll just hate me. Hate having me around all of the time. Hate seeing my face every day. And it would be a living hell for the both of us. Or four, you'll actually still stick around and care about me. Now, I may be no mathematical genius, but that's a twenty-five percent chance of happiness. The odds are not on my side at all. And I don't want to risk any of the other three options, especially with my luck."

"Did you kill someone?" he asked her. "You act like your secrets are that bad."

"I didn't kill anyone. But…you wouldn't understand. I'm just…I'm really scared, Stu. You have no idea how scared I am. There is only one person on this earth that I know truly cared about me in this world. And she died eight years ago. My life went so far downhill, you couldn't even imagine how bad my life got. It's the thing of Lifetime movies. Sure, things seem so much better now with having this job and having all of these things, but I have been so damaged that I don't even know if I'll ever be able to trust another person ever again."

"Please, Courtney, don't write me off as another asshole just because everyone else has let you down. I care about you so much. I wouldn't do that. I may have been a complete wanker on day one, but you'll never see that guy again."

"Stu…I care about you, too. A lot more than I want to and a lot more than you realize. You're constantly on my mind. I can't ever stop thinking about you. I get so insanely jealous when I see with Danielle. I always hope that you'll be the one to prove me wrong…to prove that not everyone is the same. And sometimes, I like to daydream like a teenager about what it would be like if one day, you just caved and kissed me. I think about that so much that sometimes it distracts me when I'm trying to work out or when I'm trying to resist you or when I'm trying to sleep. That's really difficult for me to accept. I just need you to understand that this is really, really hard for me right now. I need you to not get on my ass about everything in my past that you want to know and why I'm trying to resist you when it's obvious that there's something really special and really serious going on here. I'm trying so hard to get by, but I have no idea what I'm doing or what I could be getting myself into. I'm terrified that something is going to go wrong, and I'm going to be hurt and alone. Like it'll be a repeat of what I've been through," she explained.

He nodded slowly. "Alright. Fine. I'll back off with all of the questions and prying into your life. I'll try to back off with the whole feelings things," he relented.

"Thank you, Stu."

He gave her a small, genuine smile. "We can just go back to how it was before we got wrapped up in all of this stuff…at least until you let me know that you're ready for me to take it any further. Fair deal?"

She smiled. "Deal," she agreed.

"So, we're not gonna be weird now, right?"

"I hope not."

"I need to say this…you handled yourself quite well against Danielle out there."

"Thanks."

"I thought that you were gonna grab her by her hair and knock her out. Or at least knock her into the pool," he said with a laugh.

She laughed. "So did I. I had to keep reminding herself not to," she admitted with a sheepish smile.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I've missed you these last few days, bad ass," he spoke.

"I've missed you, too," she reciprocated.


	16. Chapter 16

Dominos

Chapter 16

Disclaimer: This didn't really happen. Courtney is my own creation and therefore, my property.

* * *

**A/N: Ahhhh I'm loving these reviews...thank you JoMode, DenyingTheTruth, Sonib89, LilCountry24, and Emmettluver2010. You guys made me smile big time today :) So...we're gonna slowly but surely move forward. Don't worry. I promise, I'll make it very interesting. I'm uploading new chapters quicker than I can write them. So in a couple of days we may not get a new chapter or 2 every day :( But I promise, I'm already writing out chapter 22. Hope you're all still enjoying! Please review if you're enjoying or want to share your thoughts! Love you guys! XoXoXo**

* * *

Courtney was relaxing on her couch. She was happy to finally have a couple of days off to clear her head, especially with everything that had gone on in the last few days. It was nice to have this place to come home to. But honestly, she had been home for barely eighteen hours, and she already found that she missed being with Stu. Here, she felt lonelier than she usually did. But she wasn't going to call him or anything. She didn't want to make it obvious that she was crazy about him, especially while she was fighting his feelings.

Her cell phone went off, alerting Courtney of a text message. She glanced at it, hoping that it was from the Englishman.

'Why are you ignoring me? Please, Courtney, just talk to me.' She shook her head, disappointed, before she cleared the message from her phone.

A couple of minutes later, the phone began ringing. She glanced at it, and getting irritated, she picked it up. "Can you please back the hell off?" she demanded.

"Can you stop ignoring me, Courtney?"

"Why?"

"Because I want to talk to you. I want to have a relationship with you. I just want you to hear me out."

"Yeah. I'm sure your wife is just thrilled about that, isn't she?" The doorbell rang, temporarily distracting the brunette from the phone call she didn't want to be on to begin with. "I have a visitor. I have to go."

"Who's visiting you?"

"I don't know." She glanced out the window. "Stu" escaped her lips, as they curled into a smile, as she felt the butterflies in her stomach going crazy.

"Why the hell is he showing up at your house?" the voice on the phone demanded.

"Gotta go. Bye." She disconnected the phone all and opened the door. "Hey Stu," she greeted her welcomed visitor.

"Hey…I was uh…wondering if you…you know…wanted to do something," he spoke. "As, you know, friends…or co-workers."

"I'd love to. Come on in."

"Thank you," he gratefully replied. Stu walked in, and Courtney shut the door behind him. She put her cell phone down on the table next to the door, after putting it on silent, not wanting anymore interruptions.

Stu sat down on her couch. She took a seat next to him. "So what did you have in mind for today?"

Stu smiled. "I've got something up my sleeve," he admitted.

"Oh really?"

He nodded slowly. "In fact, I was thinking that we could hang out for a couple of hours…grab some food or whatnot. I have plans for us at seven tonight."

"Like what?"

"It's a surprise for now. I'll tell you when it's closer to the time."

"Alright…"

"So…what have you been up to since we've parted ways?" he asked her, trying to make conversation.

"Well, I got up pretty early. I went to the gym for a nice workout. Then, I hung out by the pool and relaxed for a bit. And now, you're here," she told him.

"Sounds like a fun time."

"It wasn't too bad."

"You know, I'd really like to go swimming with you," he commented, wanting to be able to see her in a bikini.

A smirk quickly spread across Courtney's lips. "That would be perfectly fine with me, Stu...except…you aren't wearing a bathing suit, and I really don't want you to be naked in my pool," she pointed out.

"We don't need bathing suits, Courtney. Don't be silly," he insisted. She raised an eyebrow at him. Stu laughed. "I'm just kidding. Actually, I always keeps a pair of board shorts in my car…just in case I decide to go to the beach or something," he told her.

"Alright. Go get them, and you can get changed in the bathroom down the hallway. I'll go upstairs and get changed in my room. We'll meet back here," she told him

He smiled. "Alright."

The pair got up. Courtney went upstairs to her bedroom. She went through her vast collection of bathing suits. After debating in her head for a few moments, she decided on her Agent Provocateur Zonia bikini. She quickly put it on, brushed her hair out, and made her way downstairs.

Stu was already sitting on the couch in his red board shorts and a black wife beater tank top. His eyes devoured her, as she walked over to him.

"Ready?" she asked.

He nodded.

"Good. Follow me." He followed her to the sliding glass door leading to her backyard. She opened it, and the two walked outside. She closed the screen door behind them.

Her pool was a massive in-ground creation with one side of the pool against a stone wall with a stream of water running down it. The pool went from three-feet to eight-feet deep. She had an outdoor bar set up near the pool with a refrigerator.

"Would you like a beer?" she offered him.

"Sure."

"I have Allegash White. Is that alright?"

"I've never had it. But that's fine with me."

She bent down, opened the refrigerator, and grabbed two cold bottles. She used an attached bottle opener to open them. She handed one to him. They walked over to the pool. She sat down on one of the steps. Stu sat down next to her.

"This is pretty good," he told her.

She smiled. "It's my favorite. She paused to take a drink of her beer. "So, what made you come over?"

He shrugged. "I was bored. I figured that maybe you would like to hang out for a while or something."

"Well, I do appreciate you coming by. I like hanging out with you, you know," Courtney admitted.

He smiled. "I like hanging out with you, too. You're not like anyone I've ever met before," he told her.

"Honestly, as much as I pretend to act tough and stuff, I hate being alone. I've been alone so much in my life that…I enjoy the time I get to spend with you."

He smiled. "I'm glad I can help you feel not alone."

The two drank their beers, while making some small talk. Once Courtney finished hers, she put the bottle down and stood up. She made her way into the pool, walking backwards, with her eyes locked on Stu.

He quickly downed the rest of his beer, put the bottle down, and followed Courtney into the pool. She dipped her head back when she was chest deep in the water, soaking her hair, before lifting it back up.

Unable to help himself, Stu brought his hands onto her hips, loving the feeling of having her so close to him. "God, you're so beautiful," he spoke, his voice soft and sincere. He could see the blush creeping onto Courtney's cheeks. She brought her hands onto his torso. He pulled her body closer to his, eliciting a smile from the brunette.

"I'm not trying to be a douchebag, but—"

"I feel it," she quickly interrupted him.

It was his turn to blush. "Sorry."

"I don't really mind it."

Stu furrowed his brow. "Really?"

"Right now, I like how it feels," Courtney admitted.

She pressed her body against his. His eyes glanced down her body, finding his attention captured by the sight of her breasts being pressed against his body. It was frustrating for him to always be so turned on by her.

He took a deep breath. "Alright. We really can't do this because you're going to make me a walking erection all night."

Courtney hesitated for a few moments before finally pulling away from him. She swam away. He smiled and chased after her. And so ensued a lot of laughing and splashing, while the two began a playful afternoon together.

* * *

"Alright. Ready to go?" Stu asked her.

Courtney nodded. "I sure am. Are you going to tell me where we're going?" she questioned, still having no clue as to what he had planned for them.

"I will. But first, can I ask you an odd question?"

"Sure," she replied, raising an eyebrow.

"How do you feel about the New York Islanders?"

Eyeing him curiously, Courtney spoke, "they're my favorite hockey team. But I'm guessing you already know that."

"Do you have an Islander jersey?"

"Yes, I do…"

"Alright. You may want to put that on before we go."

She shook her head. "Why would I do that?"

A smile took over his mouth. "Well, we're going to the New York Islanders/Tampa Bay Lightning game."

"How the hell did you know?" she asked, her voice excited.

He smirked. "I pay more attention to you than you think. I notice when you check hockey scores on your phone," he told her.

"Are you serious?"

"Of course, I am."

Courtney jumped up and down in excitement and jumped into Stu's arms. He caught her. "Oh my God! I haven't been to a hockey game in years! I'm so excited! Thank you, Stu. Thank you so much." She jumped off of him. "Do you even watch hockey?"

He let out a laugh, feeling content that he had managed to make her so happy. "Actually, no, I don't."

"This is gonna be so much fun, Stu! Let me go get my jersey." She ran up the stairs, tossed open the closet, and reached into the very back. She pulled the white, orange, and blue jersey off of the hanger it had been resting on. She put it over her head. She shut the closet and ran back downstairs to Stu.

There were huge smiles adorning both of their faces.

"You look really cute in that," he commented.

"We should get you one, too," she said.

"I don't know about that."

"You're gonna have fun."

"Is your team any good?"

Courtney made a face. "Well…not really. But I love them anyway."

He laughed. "Alright, love. Let's go. We don't want to be late."

"Alright."

* * *

"Oh my God! That was so amazing! I can't believe we won in a shootout," Courtney spoke excitedly, as she and Stu walked back to his car.

"Those Lightning fans did not like you very much," Stu commented, referring to the dirty looks and unsportsmanlike comments hurled her way. Though Stu was more than willing to defend her, she didn't need him to. He was impressed at how well she could handle her own, throwing stats and a bunch of hockey terms right back at them, even though he didn't understand exactly what it was that she was saying.

"Of course not. Those bitches are just mad because my team whooped them."

"And that guy you like just kept hitting people."

"What do you expect? Matt Martin is a bad ass."

"He wouldn't be a bad ass, if he got into the ring with me," Stu muttered.

Courtney laughed. "Aw! Are you jealous of Matt Martin?"

He puffed out his chest. "Absolutely not. What reason would I have to be jealous of him?" he rhetorically questioned, though they both knew he was full of it.

"Sure."

"I can't believe we got recognized," Stu said.

"I know. It was pretty funny, when I as arguing with that seven-year-old, and then, he called us out. Little bastard," she said, as they approached the car. He unlocked the doors and opened the passenger door for Courtney. He shut the door behind her, once she was inside. He walked around to the driver's side and got in.

"Stu, this was really amazing," she said, still beaming with excitement form having been at the game.

He gave her a smile. "I'm glad you think so."

"Really. I can't believe you did this…for me."

"It was really no big deal. I'm just glad that you had a good time."

"I had an incredible time. Thank you so much, Stu."

"You're more than welcome, sweetheart. To be honest, I believe that your thanks has been sufficiently repaid."

"Oh yeah? How so?"

"Because watching you…at a hockey game…excited…unruly…loud…it was entertaining. I got to see a side of you that I never saw before…that I never even knew existed. You were playful and happy and genuinely enjoying yourself. Seeing that was great. Besides, I would do anything just to see that beautiful smile," he spoke, his voice sincere.

"Stu…you're a really great guy when you want to be. And when you want to be…you're…one of a kind, to say the least. You're the first man, in my entire life, who has ever made me feel so special," Courtney told him, her eyes trying to avoid his. He rested his elbow on the center console in the car. He brought his hand onto her arm.

"I just want to make you happy," he told her.

"Well, I appreciate that."

"Regardless of what's going on…any issues that we've had…I care about you, and I really just want to see you happy."

"You're doing a great job."

He gave her arm a quick squeeze. "Well, thank you." Stu turned back to the wheel and started the car.

"You're really the furthest thing from that asshole that I met on my first day as your valet," she said.

"To be honest with you, I can be. But I don't want to treat you like that ever again," he assured her.

"I'm pretty sure that I was the only person that you treated that way."

"And you're the only one that I care about."

"Actually, funny story, I heard that you dated a Diva," she replied with a smirk.

A smile spread across his lips. "I had a feeling that once you spent some time with some of the Divas, you'd find out about that," he admitted.

"Yeah? Why'd you lie?"

"About what?"

"You told me that you never slept with a Diva."

"I didn't lie, nosy. I never slept with her."

"Sure you didn't," she replied with a laugh.

He laughed. "Courtney, I didn't. I promise you that. When I dated her, I was riding with Ryan…you know…Ryback? We went out a couple of times. Everyone thought it was more serious than it really was, including Tori. I didn't like that everyone was talking about us, when I didn't feel that we had anything special enough to talk about. So, I ended it," he explained. "It was more of a casual thing. It wasn't a big deal to me. I just really don't like everyone that I work with knowing my business, which is why it works out well that you don't like to tell anyone anything."

"You know, you don't owe me any kind of explanation," she told him, meaning it. She knew it wasn't fair of her to expect him to spill the beans on his past, when she wasn't really giving him much to go on about hers.

"I feel like I do."

"Why is that?"

"Because…we spend a lot of time with each other. I feel like it's wrong to not be honest with you."

"You're an adult, though. You don't have to answer to me."

"I disagree. I feel like I do have to answer to you. You deserve to know the truth, especially when I'm trying to show you that you can trust me."

"Not really. I don't share much with you."

Stu shrugged. "Unlike you, I have nothing to hide."

She gave him a look.

"I know you'll share with me more, once you feel safer with me and know that you can trust me. Anyway, onto happier topics, I don't know very much about hockey, but I know that I had such a wonderful time with you."

Courtney smiled. "Me, too."


	17. Chapter 17

Dominos

Chapter 17

Disclaimer: This didn't really happen. I own Courtney.

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**A/N: Thanks for the reviews JoMode and Sonib89. I love when I get an e-mail that I got a review. Makes me quite happy. Hope everyone's enjoying. Please leave reviews, as they make me very happy. And they let me know that I'm not an idiot for continuing to post this lol Love you guys! XoXoXo**

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Once Courtney and Stu went back on the road, things were a lot more positive than they had been. They were both very happy, having enjoyed the time that they had spent together, during their days off. Stu believed that he was finally making legitimate progress in his relationship with Courtney. He was hopeful that she was finally starting to see that his feelings for her were genuine and that she could trust him.

They were in their locker room. Courtney had just gotten changed into her black Herve Leger Sequin Waist Bandage dress with her Jimmy Choo Anouk Glitter-finished leather pumps. Her hair and makeup still had to be done.

"What do you think?" Courtney asked Stu, twirling around and showing off the mini-dress she had on.

Stu raised his eyebrows. "You look quite beautiful," he replied, his eyes drinking in every inch of her body. He couldn't lie, he loved the way that dress looked on her. He also could not deny that he would like it off of her, too.

She smiled. "Thanks. I have to go get my hair and makeup done," she told him, as he took a step closer to her, his hand finding its way to her hip.

"I'm sure that you can hold off for a couple of minutes."

"And why is that, handsome? So you can rub your penis on my leg for a couple of minutes?" she teased.

He let out a laugh. "That's exactly why." She rested a hand on his arm. "God, you really look so hot. Do you realize that?"

"I guess I do now."

Stu smiled at her. "You're completely stunning."

"You're very sweet," she spoke, her voice soft.

"You're driving me crazy," he told her, his voice barely above a whisper. She could easily see the overwhelming lust in his eyes.

"I'm really not trying to," she assured him.

"One of those rare times, huh?"

She laughed. "I didn't even pick this dress out myself!" she defended herself. Stu placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head, as he pulled Courtney in for a hug, which she was quick to reciprocate, by wrapping her arms around his body, as well.

After a few moments, Courtney reluctantly pulled back, having enjoyed the feelings that he brought out in her. "I really have to get my hair and makeup done, handsome," she told him. "I'll be back when I'm done. Okay?"

He nodded. "Alright, love."

Courtney walked away from him and out of the locker room. She made her way through the maze of hallways to the hair and makeup area.

Danielle was sitting in the chair, getting her hair and makeup getting taken care of. Courtney resisted the urge to kick the leg of her chair and knock her on her ass.

"Hey Courtney! I'll be done with Danielle in about fifteen minutes. Just hang out, and I'll take care of you. Okay?" Doreen told her.

"Of course. Thanks."

Courtney walked down the hallway, though not too far away, to a few stacks of large plastic totes. She took a seat on the top of one of the piles.

"Hey Courtney," a familiar voice greeted.

"Hey Curt," she greeted, as she had looked up to see the Superstar known as Fandango standing in front of her.

"How are you?"

"I'm great. Really great, actually. How are you?" she asked, trying to be polite, though she knew he had a reputation for being a flirt.

He eyed her up and down. "Much better now."

She gave him a confused look. "Oh? And why is that?"

"Well, I found a very beautiful woman to hang out with for a little while," he replied, eyeing her up and down.

"Oh? And who is that?"

"You."

"Me?"

"Yeah. So…how are things going with the new gig as Stu's valet? Do you like it here?" he questioned her.

"Things are good. I like working here. Stu's really great. We hang out a lot. He's a nice guy," she told him.

"Oh really? So, let me ask the famous question, are you two dating or something?" he questioned her.

"Well…no. We're just really good friends," Courtney replied.

"Oh…well, that's good to hear."

"And why is that?"

"Like I said, you're a very, very beautiful woman, Courtney. If you're not involved with Stu, then, that gives another guy who may want to get to know you, a fair chance," he explained.

"A chance at what?"

"You know…a chance to take you out to dinner…a chance to show you a wonderful night out," Curt replied.

"Well, not exactly."

He leaned on a taller stack of totes that was stacked up next to her. "And why exactly is that? You're very beautiful, you know," he spoke, bringing a hand onto her face, cupping it. She was starting to feel really uncomfortable.

She pulled back from him slightly. "That's really sweet of you to say, Curt, but I'm just not interested in you that way," she told him, firmly. His hand dropped onto her thigh, as he leaned in a little bit closer to her. She put a hand up on his chest, to prevent him from leaning in any further towards her.

"Ahem," someone cleared their throat, to purposely interrupt. Both Curt and Courtney looked over and saw Stu standing there. "Oh. My apologies, I didn't intend to interrupt the two of you. Carry on," he spoke, emotionlessly, his eyes staring into Courtney's before he turned away and began walking away from them.

"Son of a bitch," Courtney muttered, pushing Curt away from her. She hopped off of the tote she had been sitting on and chased behind him. "Stu! Wait!" she called after him, knowing that he thought more was going on than what actually was. She was pissed off with herself for not telling Curt to fuck off before Stu saw them.

She caught up to him a few feet away from their locker room. She placed a hand on his bicep. He shrugged it off of him. Stu opened the locker room door. She followed him inside, closing the door behind them.

"Stu, I promise you, that wasn't what it looked like," Courtney quickly spoke, hating the fact that he was clearly upset with her.

He let out a bitter laugh. "Sure it wasn't." He paused for a moment, before speaking to her again. "Go get your hair and makeup done, Courtney. I don't need you going out there without having been taken care of. Like I've already told you, you represent me out there. I don't want you looking disheveled and making me look bad."

"Come on, Stu. Just…can we just talk about this, please? I swear to you, that wasn't what it looked like."

"Go!" he demanded, turning his back to her.

She placed a hand on his back. "Stu…"

He turned around. "Courtney, go get your bloody hair and makeup done now!" he insisted, getting frustrated with her.

She took a deep breath. "Fine," she relented, understanding that he was clearly very upset about what he had seen.

Courtney slowly made her way out of the locker room. She continued walking down the hallways, so that she could go get her hair and makeup done, though she was really upset. She didn't want Stu thinking that she had any interest in anyone except for him. But now, he doubted her. That hurt. Courtney knew that Stu thought there was something more going on between her and Curt than what had actually happened. And she didn't want that. She wanted him to know that she cared about him and only him.

As much as she didn't really want to admit it to herself…or anyone else, for that matter, Courtney was completely crazy about Stu. She hadn't expected this to happen, especially considering how they had initially started off. But no one, in the entire twenty-five years she'd been alive, had ever made Courtney feel so special, the way he did. Not since her mother was alive. After all, he figured out she liked hockey, simply by paying attention to her. Then, he surprised her with tickets to a game, when her favorite team was in town. That was the kind of guy she wanted to be with…someone who cared about her the way that he obviously did. Someone who paid attention to the little things. Someone who wanted to make her happy.

Now, Courtney was unsure if she would be able to get that back. Truth be told, Stu was all she really wanted.

When Courtney finally arrived back to the hair and makeup area, Danielle was finally getting up from the chair.

"Well, Courtney, looks like you're finally out of the picture, huh?" she quipped with a bitchy smile.

"Oh shut the fuck up, Big Bird," Courtney retorted with an eye roll.

"Excuse me? Big Bird?"

"Yeah, Big Bird. You have a massive beak and never quit your goddamned squawking. Now, get the hell out of my way, shut your stupid fucking, annoying mouth, and leave me the fuck alone before makeup is the absolute least of your problems," she threatened, in no mood for the blonde's incessant bullshit.

"Whatever. You're just jealous."

"Right. I'm jealous of you. Like that'd ever happen."

"Ugh." With that Danielle turned and walked away.

"You alright, sweetheart?" Doreen asked, as Courtney sat down.

"Ugh. No. Not at all," she replied, proceeding to explain the abridged version of situation with Stu and Danielle and the run-in with Curt, as her makeup and hair were done.


	18. Chapter 18

Dominos

Chapter 18

Disclaimer: This didn't really happen. It's just fiction. Courtney is a creation of my overactive imagination.

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**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! That includes maketimetotime AKA the artist formally known as JoMode, Sonib89, LilCountry24, and Chi1078. You guys make all to happy to post the next chapter! I hope you're all enjoying this. Please, let me know what you think and leave a review because they make me beyond happy. There's so much excitement going on in here, and it's only gonna get better. I promise. Hope you enjoy this next chapter. Love you guys! XoXoXo**

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After the Monday Night Raw taping was over, the trip back to the hotel was incredibly tense between the two. Stu wasn't speaking to Courtney, at all. Hell, he wouldn't even look at her. Courtney was so upset. She knew that she hadn't done anything wrong, but the fact that Stu believed she did, no matter what she said, hurt her a lot.

Once the hotel room door was finally shut with them inside, Courtney opened her bag and took out a pair of short black shorts and a white sports bra. She made her way into the bathroom. She took her makeup off and changed into the pajamas she brought in with her. She brushed her hair out and walked out. She saw Stu in his boxers, laying on his bed.

Courtney took a deep breath, nervous as hell, and sat on the edge of his bed. "Stu, can you please talk to me for a minute?" she asked, hopefully. He ignored her completely. "Stu." She placed a hand on his arm.

He turned around and looked at her. "What the hell do you want from me?" he spat at her, clearly angry.

"I want you to hear me out. That's all. If you're going to be mad at me, that's fine. But at least listen to what I have to say about it. I'd rather you know the truth about what you saw, instead of being mad over what you think you saw."

He gave her a sarcastic smirk. "Oh really? You think that I really want to listen to you throw some bullshit bloody excuses at me for what I caught you doing behind my back?" he asked her, accusingly.

"You didn't catch me doing anything wrong, Stu. I wasn't doing anything with Curt, aside from telling him that I wasn't interested in him. And if you don't believe me, then, you really don't know me very well."

He rolled his eyes. "You're a liar."

"I have never lied to you, Stu. Not once."

"Like I believe you."

"Why aren't you listening to me, Stu?" she asked him, frustrated with him. He stood up from the bed.

"Why the hell should I?"

"Because…I haven't ever lied to you, Stu. We've gotten so close since I came here. How can you just push me away without even listening to what I have to say?"

"Because I should have known better than to have ever gotten so close to you someone like you," he shot back, angrily.

She furrowed her brow. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? Someone like me?" she demanded.

"It means that you're a fucking whore, Courtney, just like the rest of them. What a fucking surprise that turned out to be. I was a complete and utter moron to ever think that you were ever anything but."

"You don't mean that."

"I do. I really mean it."

"You're being an asshole, Stu. I thought that you cared about me. But I guess that I was right. You're a liar just like the rest of them. You're just like every other douchebag that has ever come into my life. Clearly, I was completely wrong about you. I thought you might actually be different. But you're not."

"I guess you were wrong, then. I'm not another one of these idiots who will fall all over you like they all do," he shot.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Courtney yelled.

"Nothing anymore! Now that I see who you really are, there is nothing wrong with me. You're just another whore."

"Don't you dare call me that."

"Why, Courtney? Does the truth hurt?" he asked her, walking around the side of the bed towards her.

"I'm not a whore."

"Yes. Yes, you are," he sneered. "You're another WWE whore, and I am so sorry that I ever cared about you."

"That's how you really feel?" she asked him. He stood right in front of her, his hands on his hips, a sneer on his face.

"Yes," he replied.

"Fine." She pushed passed him and grabbed the first t-shirt that she found, which she slipped over her head. She began packing her things up.

"What in the bloody hell are you doing?" Stu asked her, watching her.

"Leaving."

"Oh? And where the hell do you think you're going?"

"Home. I'm quitting this fucking job," she told him, not even bothering to look at him, as she continued gathering her things.

"Excuse me?"

She stood up, looking at him. He could see she was really hurt by his words and his attitude towards her. That made him feel terrible. He was upset. He didn't meant to hurt her. He was just angry, and he wasn't thinking when he went off on her. Not that Stu believed there was a good enough excuse to treat her the way that he had. And it sure as hell wasn't any type of excuse to call her a whore.

"I'm quitting the WWE, and I am going home now. I just want you to know a couple of things before I slam that door right over there and never see your face again. First of all, I have never, ever lied to you, Stu. Never. Secondly, what you saw was Curt hitting on me. I told him that I wasn't interested. He put his hand on my face. I put my hand on him to push him back. He continued hitting on me and continued getting denied. That's what you saw. And third of all, the reason that I denied him…aside from the fact that he's obnoxious and I really have no interest in him…is because of you. Not that it really matters anymore, at this point."

"Because of me?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah. I thought there was something going on here, especially after this weekend. But clearly, I misread the signals."

"Don't act like you care all of a sudden. You were so quick to push me away when it got to be too much for you."

"You know what, Stu? Now that I'm leaving, you won't have to worry about me being a liar or a whore anymore," she shot back, reaching down to grab her bags.

"Wait," Stu spoke.

"Fuck you," she muttered, picking up her bags.

"Put them down."

"I'm sorry. I'm a whore. You never said I was an obedient whore because obviously, I don't listen very well."

"Put them down, Courtney," he insisted.

"I'm leaving. You're better off, seeing as I'm just a whore."

He snatched the bags form her hands and dropped them back on the floor. "You're not going anywhere."

"And why the hell not?"

"Because…I don't want you to." His voice had softened. But that didn't dissuade Courtney from setting out to do what she had decided to.

"Give me a break, Stu. This bullshit has gone on for long enough. I need to get the hell out of this place and go back home to try to have some sort of normal life," she told him, no longer wanting to deal with him.

"You can't leave."

"Why not? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't walk the hell out of here and never see you again," she challenged him.

Stu knew that what he was about to do was pretty risky. But he knew that had already jeopardized any potential future with Courtney. He didn't think that he could possibly make it much worse at this point. He grabbed her by the arm, pulled her body against his, and pressed his lips against hers.

Courtney was completely stunned that she was being kissed by Stu at this very moment, especially because she practically had one foot out the door seconds before his lips crashed onto hers. And, at first, she had no idea how she should react. But the tension that had been building between them since day one made it impossible for her to not enjoy it. She finally gave in and wrapped her arms around him and began kissing him back.

Stu's hands were tangled in her long brown hair, as he continued kissing her, reveling in the fact that he was kissing her and had wanted to do so since the day that he met her. He couldn't believe that it was finally happening. Stu was kissing the woman with whom he had been infatuated for weeks. And it was one of the best feelings he had ever experienced.

At first, the kiss was hungry and full of pure lust, but as it continued, it became less feverish and became more affectionate. His arms wrapped themselves around her much smaller body, holding her to him, not wanting to let go, for fear of how she might react.

When the pair pulled back, they were both out of breath. Their eyes remained locked on each other, neither quite unsure of what to say to the other.

"Is that a good enough reason?" Stu finally asked her, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had built between the pair.

Courtney nodded slowly, not trusting her voice to speak at that moment. He sat on the edge of his bed, feeling unable to stand. His legs felt like Jell-O. She stood in front of him, between his parted legs. She leaned down towards him, pressing her lips against his for the second time that night. She couldn't help but revel in the feeling of kissing him. His hands rested on the backs of her thighs, while her fingers ran through the short hairs at the nape of his neck. Stu pulled her onto his lap, so that she was straddling him, though their lips never parted.

The sparks flew, once again, during their second kiss. The sexual tension that had been building up since her first day at Stu's valet had come to a head. Neither could deny how incredible it felt to give into that tension they had felt.

Courtney finally pulled back, knowing that if she didn't, it could really lead anywhere. She wasn't sure that she was quite ready to go any further with him, at this point. Stu pressed his forehead against hers. "I hope you know that I'm just a complete fool for you," he whispered to her, meaning every word that left his lips.

"Stu…"

"What, love?"

"I can't do this with you."

"Yes, you can."

She shook her head slowly. "I really can't. I want to, Stu. I really want to more than anything, but I can't do that," she told him, her voice soft and almost sad.

"Why not?"

"Because…you wouldn't understand. I'm just not cut out for this kind of thing. You don't…it isn't you. I like you."

"You like me?"

"I do," she admitted.

"So, why can't you just give me a chance, Court? I know that I can make you happy. I'll treat you right. Better than you've ever been treated before."

"That's not a difficult feat," she replied. "It isn't that I don't believe you. It's just that…I really can't…"

"Courtney, I promise you, I may not be perfect, but I'm not like everyone else who has hurt you," he assured her.

She cupped his face in her hands affectionately. "You are…nothing like I'd expect you would be. You're really sweet to me. You can be so incredibly romantic. You're thoughtful and affectionate and considerate…when we're getting along," she listed his positive qualities with ease. "But…Stu…I'm really not the kind of person that is cut out for this kind of thing. I wish that I could explain it more to you, but I can't right now."

"You are cut out for this. You know that you can't turn your back on what we have. You know that we have something really special between us. Since day one, we have had so much tension between the two of us that it has been hardly bearable at times. I haven't managed to go even one day without wanting nothing more than to pull you into my arms and hold you and kiss you. I want to show you how special you are to me."

"I'm not denying what's going on here…what's been going on here. I know that there's something really incredible here…something…unlike anything I've ever felt before in my entire life. Something I didn't even know existed," she admitted.

"Please just give me one chance to show you how it can be," he pleaded with her, hoping that she would change her mind.

Courtney looked down, frowning and avoiding meeting his eyes. "Stu, I really wish that I could, but I can't," she insisted. "I promise you that it isn't because of you. It's because of me. I'm really messed up. I've got more problems than I know what to do with. I just need you to trust me on this one. I'm not good for you. I wish more than anything that I was, but if you knew the truth…you'd agree with me."

"I would never agree because I know that no matter what issues there are, we can make it work. I can help you with whatever problems you have. I can show you how good it would be. I want to show you…more than anything in this world. I just want a chance to show you what it can be like, if you gave me a chance. You wouldn't regret it."

"I don't doubt that. I really don't. I believe that you want to do all you can to make me happy and help me. But…" She shook her head. "Stu, we can't do this anymore," Courtney spoke, her voice sad.

"Courtney, you don't understand…I've never been so happy in my entire life. I have so much fun with you. I want to spend all of my time with you. I have never had so much fun on the road, and I've been on the road for years. I just love being with you, no matter what it is that we're doing. You keep me on my toes. No one has ever done that before. But you do it. And you're so bloody good at it. You've got me wrapped around your little finger."

Courtney smiled, finally deciding to look at Stu again. She placed an affectionate hand on his cheek. Her thumb stroked his cheek. She, then, leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss on his lips, before getting up. "You're one of a kind. If things were different, I know that you would make me so happy," she said. "But this can't happen."

"How can I change your mind? What can I do?"

"You can't change my mind," she replied, sitting on the edge of her bed. "I'm gonna go to bed, Stu. I hope we're gonna be okay."

"I'll do whatever I can to make you happy."

Courtney smiled. "You do make me very happy," she assured him. She crawled into the bed, underneath the blankets. She took the shirt she had put on over her sports bra off and tossed it to Stu. "I didn't realize when I put this on, in anger, that it was yours. Goodnight, Stu," she said and shut her light off.

"Goodnight, Court." Stu laid down in his bed and shut his light off. He knew that he would have to write this off as yet another night he wouldn't be getting any sleep. He dropped the shirt to the floor, knowing that if her scent lingered so close to him anymore, he would probably have a nervous breakdown.


	19. Chapter 19

Dominos

Chapter 19

Disclaimer: This is a fictional tale that has been imagined by me…as Courtney has also been imagined by me.

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**A/N: Ahhh I'm so happy. I got six reviews for the last chapter. You guys are amazing. A huge thanks to: Maketimetotime, Sonib89, LilCountry24, Rossi's Lil Devil, Chi1078, and Emmettluver2010. You guys made me sooo happy! Well, this chapter is pretty long, but hopefully you'll appreciate why. I know everyone is dying to know Courtney's secrets, but I promise we're getting close to finding out what the deal with her is. I'm hoping to post a bit this weekend, but I'm going to NY to visit my parents, so I may not get a chance...but I will be bringing my laptop...so it's possible. I'll do my best for you! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Love you guys very much! XoXoXo**

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The next couple of days were uncomfortable…especially for Stu. Courtney had been trying her hardest to forge some normalcy. But he acted almost like a high-schooler around her. It was definitely weird for her to see him like this. He was usually acting like such a tough guy, and to see him so vulnerable was odd.

"So, what's going on with you and Stu?" Doreen asked, while Courtney was getting her makeup done, pre-live event.

She shrugged. "We're getting along well. Things are…I don't know…good, I guess. We're friendly now," she replied.

"Oh give me a break," she brushed the response off.

"What?"

"We all know he's absolutely crazy about you. Even a blind person could see that," Doreen told her.

Courtney tried to suppress the smile that involuntarily formed on her face. "It isn't like that. We're just screwing around."

"Do you even see the way that he looks at you?"

"He looks at me completely normal."

"Not in the least. That man is completely in love with you. And trust me, I see everything here. I know everything that goes on around here. I know that a lot of Divas have or do look at him like that. And Danielle has been laying it on way too thick since you've been around here. Not that she was ever one for subtlety. But not once have I seen him show anyone else the same kind of interest that he shows in you. Hell, he acted like they were just a bunch of groupies, who didn't really matter to him. But he looks at you like no one else exists."

"Things between us are complicated," Courtney admitted.

"Why is that?"

"Because he doesn't know me. Doreen, he really doesn't know anything about me. And those things that he doesn't know are the reason why it can't go any further than flirting. If he knew, he wouldn't even want to talk to me anymore."

"Sweetie, if he really cares about you, it won't matter to him what you've done in the past," Doreen pointed out.

"It isn't that easy."

"It should be."

"Hey ladies, almost done?" Stu asked, walking over to the pair.

"Just about," Doreen replied, finishing Courtney's mascara.

"Court, I need to talk to you," he told her. "Um…about the show…"

Doreen raised an eyebrow, not believing that the talk he wanted to have with her had anything to do with the show.

"Okay. I'm all done with you, little lady," she said, backing away from the object of Stu's affection.

"Thank you so much, Doreen," she said with a smile.

"Oh of course, sweetheart."

Stu led Courtney away from the makeup area and headed back to their locker room. She had no idea what was going on with him right now. He was just being quiet, while they made their way through the hallways.

Once inside, with their door shut, he spoke. "Court, I really hope you know that I care about you so much."

She smiled at him. "Stu, I know that you do. I've already told you that that has nothing to do with why things can't go any further with us. I promise you that after the initial hiccups we had, you've been nothing short of amazing. You've been perfect, really. Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?"

He nodded. "I know that I've been acting a lot different."

"You don't have to give me an explanation for it. I know that this isn't the most comfortable situation for you."

Courtney felt really bad, seeing the desperation in his eyes. She saw how not himself he had been since they'd kissed in the hotel room. He had pretty much been a bumbling idiot who didn't know his ass from his elbow. He was majorly distracted from everything.

"I'm not used to not being the one who decides who I care about and who I date. I feel like I'm in a completely foreign territory, and it makes me feel so…out of place. I just…I have no idea what in the bloody hell I'm doing," he admitted.

"I understand that completely, Stu. Don't worry about it. We're off tomorrow. We can spend some time together and work it out. We'll figure out how we can make things normal again. We'll be alright. Okay?"

He nodded slowly. "Thank you, Court."

"We've gotta get ready to get out there."

"Let's go."

* * *

The next day, Courtney and Stu were unsure of exactly what they were going to do. They still felt that overwhelmingly strong tension between them. No one wanted to speak for fear of saying the wrong thing and looking like an idiot to the object of their affection. To any outsider, it would be a humorous scene. The two sat there in an awkward silence, every now and again catching eyes and giving a smile. It went on for too long, while both searched their brains for something to say and break this tension.

"Um…you know that my brother is coming to visit with my niece next week," he told her, trying to make conversation.

"Oh…I guess I shouldn't expect any surprise visits, then, huh?" she asked with a lighthearted smile.

"Actually, I brought it up because it's really the contrary. I was wondering if you would like to come over to my house and meet them," he told her.

"Really?" Courtney didn't expect him to say that.

"Yeah, I mean, I think it'd be great for you to meet them. Besides, as much fun as Avery and I have together, she always busts my chops about not having a girl for her to play with when she visits," he explained.

"I would love to meet her," Courtney replied.

"I would love for you to meet her."

Stu was sitting on the edge of his bed. Courtney was sitting across from him, facing him, while sitting on the edge of her own bed.

"I wish this wasn't so difficult," he said, looking down.

"I know…"

"You have no idea. I'm just so smitten with you."

"It isn't that I'm not. You're always on my mind, Stu. I care about you very much. Probably more than you even realize."

"So why can't you just try?"

"Because…you don't know me, Stu. I wish so much that I could tell you everything, but I really can't do that. You're perfect. Seriously. And you make me so much happier than I ever thought that I could be. I love being with you. But there's so much about me…and about my life…that…if you knew it, you would have no desire to ever see me or speak to me again."

"You don't know that, Courtney," he refuted. "Everyone had a past, love. Everyone. And not everything is squeaky clean for anyone. I doubt very highly that anything that you've done would make me want to not have any type of relationship with you. Besides, I've done things before that I'm not proud of. But…that's life. Things happen."

"Stu, this is so much more complicated than you realized it is."

"It shouldn't be, though," he said, looking up at her. "You have no idea how much I want to be with you."

Courtney took a deep breath, hating this situation so much. "It isn't one-sided, either. I've told you that plenty of times. I hate caring about you the way that I do. It makes everything so much more difficult. My job is complicated because my entire job revolves around being with you all of the time. My days off are complicated because if I don't spend them with you, all I wish I was doing is spending them with you because you're stuck on my mind constantly. My entire life is so much more complicated because I am always thinking about you. This isn't easy for me. I wish I could handle it better than I do, but…I just can't."

"I just want to hold you," he told her, speaking softly.

"Stu, don't make this harder than it has to be."

He stood up and stood in front of her. He offered his hand out to her, his eyes locked on hers. Courtney hesitated for a few moments, before finally taking it. He pulled her into a standing position right in front of him.

Stu rested his hand on the back of her neck, his other hand rested on her hip. Their eyes remained glued to each other, each unable to look away. She hated that she was so attracted and attached to him.

Finally, he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. She slid her hands up his body to rest around his neck.

This kiss wasn't anything like the other ones that they had shared since that first kiss, only barely a couple of days ago. And they both knew that it was much different this time. "I need you so badly, Court," he whispered against her lips.

She pulled their lips apart. Stu rested his forehead against hers. "This isn't easy for me, Stu," she whispered.

"Because you're still trying so hard to fight it, love. Don't fight it anymore. Just let it happen," he told her, his voice still low.

She quickly pulled his lips back onto hers. Her arms wrapped themselves around his neck. His arms snaked their way around her waist. Stu lifted her up in his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist.

Stu brought Courtney over to his bed and carefully laid her down, her head on the pillows, as he laid on top of her. She brought her hands onto his face. He pulled her thigh up against the side of his body, his fingers grasping the flesh.

"Baby, you're amazing," he spoke against her mouth.

"I want you, Stu," she told him. He pulled back from their kiss, his eyes searching for some signal on her face that he should stop what they were doing and not take it any further. But he couldn't find anything other than desire and affection.

"You want me?" Stu questioned her, seemingly confused by the statement she had made. "What…"

She slowly nodded. "Please, Stu," she spoke. He could hear the need, the desperation in her voice.

"Are you sure that you really want this?" he asked her, unsure if this was really happening or if he was imagining it.

She nodded again. "Please, Stu," she repeated herself, her eyes on his. "I need this. I need you," she insisted.

"Alright," he agreed, all too happy to fulfill her request. Stu leaned back in, kissing Courtney again, knowing that this time, he was going to get what he had wanted from her since the day she walked into his life. But now, he wasn't craving her on a primal, lustful level. He was craving her on an emotional level. He felt nothing but love and affection for her.

Stu sat back on his heels, pulling her up with him. He held her against his kneeling body. Her legs were around his waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck once again. He trailed his lips down from hers, to her neck, placing kisses on the flesh, and continuing to trail further down to her chest. Courtney shut her eyes, enjoying the sensation of finally having his lips on her body and his arms around her. She knew she cared about him, but she didn't realize she had been so desperate for him to finally have her. His hands ran up her body, pulling her form-fitting top up slowly. She reveled in the feeling of his hands on her body. It made her want Stu that much more.

Courtney pulled away from him, kneeling on the bed, facing him. She gave him a smile to encourage him. He hesitated for a moment, unsure of what he should do. He finally leaned forward and continued to pull her shirt up. Just the feeling of the material leaving her body made her heart beat at least twice as fast. He pulled it over her head, leaving her in her bra and shorts. She just stared at him, before finally leaning forward and reaching for the hem of his t-shirt. She pulled it up and over his head, tossing the cotton garment carelessly to the floor. He leaned in and pressed an affectionate kiss to her lips. Her entire body felt as if it were electrified, at the sensations she was feeling from his lips and his touch.

"Lay down," he instructed her. She acquiesced, taking her earlier position on the bed. Her legs were bent at the knees, her feet flat on the bed in front of him. He grabbed her ankle in his hand and began trailing kisses up her leg. When he reached the bottom of her short denim shorts, he picked the other ankle up and repeated his actions on her other leg. Once he reached the bottom of her shorts on the second leg, he reached for the front of her shorts. Stu unbuttoned and unzipped them. The anticipation that was building up in him was unlike anything he had ever felt before. They both knew that they couldn't stop now. He gently grabbed onto the waist of her shorts, tugging them down. She lifted her butt up off the bed, as he pulled them off of her and down her legs, before dropping them to the floor, with their shirts.

"I have never seen such a beautiful sight in my entire life," he spoke, his eyes devouring Courtney, as she laid, nearly naked, before him.

She blushed at his compliment, suddenly feeling self-conscious, as she laid there with his eyes still on her. Courtney sat up and got up on her knees. "Time for you to lay down now, handsome," she said, moving out of the way.

He smiled. "Alright, love." He laid on the bed. Courtney smirked at him, having taken his place on the bed now. She leaned over his body, pressing an affectionate kiss on his lips.

She looked down at his body. "God, you're so hot." He grinned at her, not feeling at all self-conscious as she had. "Seriously, everything about you is so perfect."

"Thank you, sweetheart."

Courtney smiled, before leaning down and placing a kiss onto his chest. She continued placing kisses all over the surface of his chest, down to his stomach. Her fingertips artfully found their way to the waistband of his sweat shorts. She gently yanked on the material, pulling them down slowly, leaving him in his boxers, as they quickly joined the rest of their growing pile of clothes that been tossed onto the floor.

She leaned over his body again, this time pressing her lips against his. She had to admit, she loved being able to kiss him whenever she wanted to. She put each of her legs on either side of his body, straddling him, as she sat on top of his pelvis, his erection pressing against her ass. Courtney sat up and pulled him into a sitting position. He wrapped his arms around her waist, his eyes showing nothing but adoration for the woman in his arms.

Courtney rested her forearms on his shoulders, while her fingers played with the hairs at the base of his neck. She gave him a smile, exuding genuine happiness. With all of the tension that had plagued the pair for weeks, they were strangely comfortable, even though they were both more than halfway naked.

"Are you sure that you want to do this, love? I don't want you to feel pressured or forced to do this with me or anything," he questioned her.

"I'm beyond positive," she replied, a confident smile on her lips. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

Stu pulled her in for another kiss, as his hands ran up the side of her body and, then, around to her back. His fingertips searched for the clasp to her bra. He quickly opened it and took a deep breath, before pulling the lacy material off of her. His eyes traveled down to finally look at her bare breasts, which he had been waiting to see since they met.

"Oh my…" he whispered to himself.

Courtney felt the heat running up to her cheeks. She felt incredibly exposed, as his eyes continued drinking in the sight of her, now only wearing her underwear.

"These are the most amazing…most perfect breasts I've ever seen," he spoke, finally pulling his eyes up to look at the blushing brunette's face. "I'm so sorry I ever asked you if they were real," he said with a laugh.

Courtney let out a laugh. "Gee. Thanks."

The smile that resided on her face was genuine. Stu could see that. He could see a happiness in her eyes that he had never seen before. That made him happy. He just wanted her to be happy…he just also wanted to be the one making her happy. "To me, love, you're everything and so much more," he told her, his eyes locked on hers. She leaned in towards him and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. He placed his hands on her hips. She took his right hand and brought it onto her breast. He deepened their kiss, their tongues fighting each other for entrance into the other's mouth. She took his left hand and placed it on her other breast. She rested her hands on his torso, as his hands massaged her breasts. He felt like he was young again, when this was all he wanted to do. But this wasn't like high school. He had been obsessed with this woman in front of him…in every possible way. This was something he had been desperate to do. And here he was, touching her body.

Courtney pushed Stu back on the bed. She climbed off of his lap. She brought her hands onto the waistband of his boxers. She began pulling them down, painfully slowly while Stu watched. She pulled the material over his erection, before removing them completely, leaving him completely naked for the first time in front of her. Her eyes were focused on the impressive sight before her. She was looking forward to this night even more so than she initially had, now seeing what she was going to be working with.

Mouthing the word 'wow', Courtney's eyes finally met his. "I know that I made a lot of jokes about your dick when we were starting out, but this is a lot bigger than I expected it would be," she admitted. "And you shoved that boner in my face quite a few times. That did you no justice whatsoever."

It was Stu's turn to blush. "Um…thank you?"

She laughed and nodded. "It was a compliment. I promise," she assured him. Courtney took the impressive length in her hand, resulting in Stu's eyes rolling back in his head, feeling her touch him exactly where he'd wanted her to. She began running her hand up and down his length, slowly enough that it was practically torturing him…in the best possible way. He knew that if he hand could make him feel this good, he was in for a real treat, as they took it further. She bent her head down and flicked her tongue over the head. He sucked in a deep breath.

"Oh God, Court," he moaned as she took the head of his penis into her mouth. She bobbed her head up and down a few inches his length, before he pulled her off of him. Stu sat up and pushed Courtney down on the bed.

"You're quite the little tease, aren't you?" he questioned.

She replied with a nod of her head and a mischievous smile. Stu placed a quick kiss on her lips, before he grabbed the sides of her lacy underwear and pulled them down, over her legs, and dropping them off the side of the bed.

"Stu, I really need you inside of me now," the brunette moaned.

He nodded, agreeing with her. There was nowhere he wanted to be at that moment other than inside of her. Stu climbed off of the bed and reached into his suitcase, moments later retrieving a condom. He kneeled back on the bed, between Courtney's legs. Stu ripped the packaging open with his teeth. He pulled the condom out of the packaging, which he tossed into the pile with all of their clothes. He rolled the latex onto his erection and positioned himself over her.

Stu rubbed the head of his dick against Courtney's core. This time it was her eyes rolling back in her head. "You like that?"

She nodded. "I just want to feel you inside of me. Please," she begged him.

He smiled, as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Stu pushed the first inch in, as Courtney bit her lower lip and let out a moan. He began pushing himself inside of her, though it was difficult, as she was tight against his wide girth.

"My God, you're so tight, love," he groaned, gently thrusting into her, getting in a little deeper with every couple of thrusts. Courtney was moaning and writhing in pleasure below him. When he had managed to bury his entire length inside of her, Stu pressed his lips against hers. The two made out for a few minutes, while he allowed her to adjust to his size.

When he pulled his lips from hers, he pressed his forehead against hers. "Are you alright?" he asked.

She nodded. "I've never felt so good before."

"That's what I like to hear," he replied, before lifting his upper body up slightly. He held onto her body and began slowly thrusting into her. "You feel so amazing," he groaned.

"Oh my God, Stu," she moaned. He leaned his upper body down still maintaining his rhythm. His lips found hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"This is seriously the greatest feeling I've ever felt in my entire life," he told her, their foreheads pressed together.

"I never knew that sex could feel so good," Courtney admitted. He reached his hand between their bodies and brought his thumb to rub her most sensitive part.

Stu could feel her body trembling underneath his. "I want to feel you come first, baby," he whispered.

Her eyes found his. "Oh…" she moaned. He pressed his lips back to hers, before pulling his body up a bit, in order to focus on helping her reach her release before he reached his.

"I feel so good right now. I think I might die," she groaned, one of her hands grabbing Stu's arm and digging her fingertips into it.

"Come on, baby. Look at me," he directed her.

She did so, feeling overwhelmed with pleasure, knowing that he was seconds away from making her climax.

"Baby, come for me," he told her. The intensity with which he spoke to her did something that she never expected it to. It pushed her over the edge. Courtney could have sworn in a court of law that she stars, as her orgasm hit her like a tidal wave.

Stu felt her tighten around him. Just watching her orgasm for him was more than enough to make him lose his composure, as he reached his own climax. The two remained in each other's arms, as they came and experienced the aftershocks that their powerful releases sent through their sweaty bodies.

When Stu finally found the energy, he lifted his head and looked at Courtney. She smiled at him. "That was amazing," she spoke. "Seriously."

He returned the smile. "Yes," he agreed. "Yes, it was."

The two were a sweaty mess, as they reveled in their post-orgasmic bliss. Though it was barely the afternoon, they both knew that it was going to be an incredible day. Odds were that the two weren't getting out of bed. And neither one of them had a problem with that.


	20. Chapter 20

Dominos

Chapter 20

Disclaimer: This isn't real. Courtney is mine.

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**A/N: I am so thankful to you guys for the response for the last chapter. I get so uncomfortable writing sex scenes because I never know what to write and how to not sound like a complete moron (DenyingTheTruth, I'm 110% like you.). So, it made me feel really happy to receive such a positive response. Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews: DenyingTheTruth, maketimetotime, LilCountry24, Sonib89, Rossi's Lil Devil, Jenni, Chi1078, and Christiebett95. You guys are seriously amazing. I apologize for leaving you with no reviews for the weekend. I ended up not bringing my laptop with me. I will also warn you that tomorrow and Wednesday will probably not have any updates for you with, as while I was visiting my family this weekend, a close family friends passed away, so I'm going to go back home for the wake and funeral...and I have a very close friend of mine visiting from Idaho, so...clearly this week is going to be a bit crazy. I appreciate how great you guys have been with the reviews and reads and follows and favorites. My readers are by far the best ever! Enjoy! Love you guys so much! XoXoXo**

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Things has greatly improved with Courtney and Stu, after they had finally given in and had sex. He was afraid that she was going to emotionally pull back again. But, to his surprise, she hadn't. In fact, she'd been a lot more affectionate towards him.

They were backstage at the evening's live show, hanging out in their shared locker room. "You know, Stu, I was thinking about something," she spoke, as they were sitting on the couch next to each other.

"Oh?" he questioned, curiously, as he pulled his eyes away from the closed circuit television and focused them on her.

"Maybe we should change things up a little bit. For example, if you're okay with it, maybe we could start getting a hotel room with one bed…that we can share," the brunette suggested, a smile on her face. She was sure that he would agree.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Really? You'd like that?" he asked.

She nodded. "I think I would like that a lot, actually."

"I'll call the hotel, then, before we check-in tonight," he told her.

"Thanks."

A knock on the door interrupted the pair. The door opened moments later. Stephanie McMahon stood here. "Courtney, can I borrow you for a moment?" she asked.

Courtney felt a knot form in the pit of her stomach. She did not want to talk to her at all, much less without Stu next to her. "Sure," she replied, feigning normalcy. "I'll be right back, Stu." She got up from the couch and followed Stephanie out of the room and down the hallway to her office that had been set up in the arena.

Stephanie shut the door behind them. "Take a seat," she told her. Courtney did so. Stephanie sat next to her.

"So, what's going on, Stephanie?" Courtney asked, feeling nervous.

"Courtney, I'm just going to come right out and ask you this question…are you sleeping with my husband?" she asked.

"What?!" Courtney asked her, completely shocked.

"Are you?"

"No. Absolutely not," she quickly answered.

"Okay. Because I know that he calls you a lot. He texts you all of the time. He's always trying to talk to you. So…who are you, and why is my husband so obsessed with you?" Stephanie questioned her. The look on her face was a stern one, though Courtney could see she was nervous about this confrontation.

"Stephanie, I'm sorry that you thought I was sleeping with your husband. I can't tell you why. But the reason he tries to communicate with me is something that you're going to have to talk to him about. But, I promise you, if he is cheating on you, which I highly doubt he is, it isn't with me," Courtney assured her.

"Why can't you tell me?"

"Because it's something that you should discuss with him," she replied, wishing she wasn't having this conversation.

"Courtney, I'm not stupid."

"I never said you were…"

"I have people looking into this. If you're involved with him, it would be best if you told me now," Stephanie said.

"I'm involved with him, but not in the way that you're obviously thinking. Besides, I'm involved with someone else anyway. I really think that you should talk to Paul, though. This isn't something that you should hear about from me. Just go talk to him."

Stephanie was chewing on the inside of her cheek. "You never had any type of romantic or sexual relationship with my husband?" she questioned.

"Never. And I never would."

Stephanie nodded. "Alright. But don't let me find out that you're lying to me."

"Trust me, whoever you have looking into this is not going to tell you that I'm screwing your husband. I never have and never will." Courtney stood up and opened the door. "But seriously, you should talk to him about this," she said, before walking out of the office and shutting the door. That was uncomfortable.

She made her way back to the locker room, where Stu was waiting for her. She quickly reclaimed her seat.

"What was that about?" Stu asked.

"Nothing. Just had some questions."

"About…?"

"Don't worry about it."

"Courtney, you know that I care about you. I would do absolutely anything for you. I just want to understand what all of this secrecy is all about," Stu explained.

She shook her head. "Please, don't do this. Things have been so great with us. Please let's not get into this again."

"I just feel like you're hiding so much from me because you don't trust me," he said, the reflection on his face showing sadness.

"It isn't that, Stu. This is all just more complicated than you realize it is," she insisted, not wanting to have the same conversation with him again.

"But…I just want to understand you, love. I want to be able to help you. It isn't because I'm nosy," he told her.

"I know that. And maybe at some point, I can tell you everything that you want to know, but now is not that time. And right now, I also don't want to have this conversation with you," she spoke, trying to be firm but not come off as a bitch.

Stu sighed. "Alright," he relented.

"Thank you."

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "You're lucky that I adore you as much as I do."

She smiled. "I know I am. But you're also lucky that it's mutual."

He laughed. "You're absolutely right."

"Stu, I hope you realize how much it kills me inside to have to keep secrets from you," she spoke, her voice low and almost regretful.

"I hope that one day, you'll finally open up to me. Then, I'll be able to do whatever I can to help you. I swear, I will."

"It's just…it's so complicated. I'm a really messed up person. I've been through a lot in my life. It's just really hard to talk about."

He nodded. "Remember how I noticed that you were checking your hockey scores on your phone?" he asked her.

"Yeah…"

"I have also notice your missed calls and text messages from the same phone number," he told her.

"Listen, I promise you that I'm not involved with any guy except for you. I need you to trust that."

He nodded slowly. "I do. I'm not particularly sure why I do, but I do trust you."

"Well, thank you. You can trust me. I would never lie to you about anything like that," she assured him.

"I really hope that you wouldn't. You know that I care about you so much. You can't even begin to understand how much I feel for you. You're just so special to me," he told her.

Courtney smiled and placed a kiss on Stu's cheek. "You are the only man on this planet that I'd ever consider giving a chance to."

"Well, that makes me feel pretty special."

"It should."

"Oh, I promise you, it makes me feel incredibly special."

* * *

That night, after the show, Courtney and Stu walked into their hotel room for the evening, happy to see only one king-sized bed in the room.

"I can't believe that we're going to finally share a bed," Stu spoke, feeling about the recent advancements in their relationship. To him, this meant a lot of progress had been made. She didn't want to even sleep without him.

"I think it'll be nice to sleep in a bed next to you, every night," she said, walking up to him and wrapping her arms around his torso. He wrapped his arms around her and leaned down, pressing a kiss to her lips, which she smiled into.

"It'll be much easier to cop a feel when I'm sharing a bed with you," he told her with a lighthearted laugh.

"I bet it will be," Courtney replied, raising an eyebrow at him. "I really have to get these shoes off, handsome." Courtney pulled out of his arms and kicked her heels off her, knocking her height down a good five inches to her normal height of five-foot-seven, still a full foot shorter than Stu. But her feet certainly felt a lot better.

"You need any help getting out of that dress?" he asked her with a mischievous smirk adorning his lips.

She shrugged. "Well, gee, I don't know…what happens if I let you help me with my dress?" she asked, feigning innocence.

"I may not be able to resist running my hands all over your body," he replied.

"I may enjoy that," Courtney replied, giving him a seductive smirk.

"Oh, I can promise you that I'll make sure you enjoy it," he assured her, a smirk of his own adorning his lips.

"Well, my zipper's in the back anyway. So, can you help me out?" she asked, turning her back to him.

Stu clapped and rubbed his hands together, before slowly pulling the zipper down. Once he brought it all the way down, slightly lower than the small of her back, Courtney pulled her arms out of it and allowed it to fall down her body and pool at her feel, before stepping out of it.

"I swear, I've seen you nearly naked countless times at this point, but the sight of your body is never lost on me," he spoke, admiring her, as he stared at her.

Courtney smiled, as she turned towards him. "Yeah? And why is that?"

"Because you are just…my dream," he admitted.

"Aw. Stu, you know exactly what to say to make a woman feel beautiful," she said. Courtney began unbuttoning his dress shirt from the top button down. Once she had gotten them all undone, she, then, unbuttoned his cuffs. Then, she pushed the shirt off of his shoulders, causing it to fall off of him and onto the floor. Her fingers found the hem of his white wife beater that he wore underneath the shirt. She pulled it up and over his head. "I love every inch of your body," she complimented, running her hands up and down his chest and abdomen.

Stu brought one hand onto her lower back and pulled Courtney's body against his. He slowly leaned down and brought their lips together. She had one hand on his shoulder and the other on his face.

"I'm going to have to take advantage of the fact that we're sharing such a large bed," he spoke against her mouth.

"You better," she replied.

He laughed and easily scooped her up in his arms. Stu brought her over to the bed they would be sharing and laid her down. He climbed on top of her, pressing affectionate kisses to her neck, which paired with the facial hair he had, tickled her, causing her to giggle.

"I have to get my pajamas on," Courtney told him, squirming beneath his body.

"Oh trust me, pajamas are the last thing that you have to worry about while you're sharing a bed with me," he told her.

"I think your penis is getting to be a bit hyperactive," she teased him with a laugh.

"Well, it's all your fault," Stu blamed her, getting off of her and laying on his side, next to her. He propped himself up on his elbow.

"Oh, is that so?"

"Absolutely. If you weren't so insanely beautiful and sexy and didn't turn me on so much just by being around me, he wouldn't constantly be so excited," he explained.

Courtney laughed. "You're too much. Take your pants off. I don't want to be the only one barely clothed," she said.

"You take them off."

"Fine," she replied. Courtney pushed him on his back and hovered over his body, fumbling with his belt, before unfastening it. She unbuttoned and unzipped his dress pants and pulled them down, sliding them off of his legs and dropping them to the floor. Stu pulled the blankets down and got underneath them.

Courtney crawled back into the bed next to him. He was still lying on his back. She reached behind her back and unclasped her bra. She pulled it off of her body and flung it away from her, happy to have freed her breasts from the confines of the bra. Letting out an audible sign of her pleasure from the feeling of the freedom, she laid back down, next to Stu. He pulled her body closer to him, and she rested her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, her hand resting on his stomach affectionately.

Stu kissed the top of her head. "You know, even with you just about naked in bed with me, I don't even need to have sex with you."

"Oh yeah? And why is that?" she asked him.

"Because…that isn't what this is about for me. I just need to have you in my arms. That's all I need…just you…with me."

A smile spread across her lips upon hearing him say that. She cuddled up with him. Stu reached over and shut the lights off, before pulling the blanket up over them. He kissed the top of her head again.

"Goodnight, sweetheart," Stu said, speaking softly.

"Goodnight, handsome."


	21. Chapter 21

Dominos

Chapter 21

Disclaimer: This is fictional, and Courtney belongs to me.

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**A/N: Thanks for the reviews: maketimetotime, Sonib89, Chi1078, Emmettluver2010. They always make me happy. My plans had changed quite a bit, and I'm not going to be going home until tomorrow. So that means there's an update today! Yay! Hope you guys enjoy it! Love you lots! XoXoXo**

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Courtney was nervous as hell. She was headed over to Stu's house, about to meet his brother Martin and his niece Avery. When it came to her love life, she typically did not meet siblings, parents, etc. Mostly because she didn't have any sort of love life in the last few years. But even when she did meet someone, they didn't involve each other's families. And she was content with that. This was all very new to her.

When she parked in front of his house, her heart was just about ready to beat out of her chest. She got out of the car and walked up to the front door. She rang the doorbell. Within moments, the door opened. Stu stood there, his three year-old niece being held on his hip.

"Courtney! Come on in," he said, moving out of the way.

"Hi," she said, giving the pair a kind smile, as she walked into his house. He shut the door behind her.

"Hi!" the young brunette said, waving to her.

"Hi," Courtney said. "You must be Avery. I'm Courtney."

She nodded. "I heard about you. You're Uncle Stu's girlfriend!"

Stu laughed nervously. "Avery, she's not my girlfriend, you silly goose. She's my friend," he corrected her.

"You looove her!" Avery insisted, placing her palms on her uncle's cheeks. He was bright red, as was Courtney.

"Avery! Are you teasing Uncle Stu again?" a man, spoke, walking over to the three. He was slightly shorter than Stu but looked very much like him.

"Yes," she replied with a guilty tone and a pout.

"What did I tell you about doing that?" he asked her.

"That it isn't very nice to do," she admitted.

"Hi. You must be Courtney. I'm Martin, this overgrown giant's older brother," he introduced himself and held his hand out to her.

Courtney smiled and shook it. "That's me. It's so nice to meet you, Martin. I hope that you don't listen to a word he's said about me," she replied.

He laughed. "Oh, trust me, he's spoken about you plenty. But he hasn't said one negative thing about you," he told her.

"She's very pretty," Avery said, loudly whispering to Stu.

"Yes, she is," he agreed.

The girl reached forward and ran her fingers through Courtney's hair. "You have very pretty hair," Avery said.

"Thank you. You have very pretty hair, too. It's almost the same color as mine."

"Uncle Stu, I like her."

"Well, you know, you always yell at me for not having any girls here that you can to play with. So, I invited my friend Courtney to come over and hang out with us today," he explained to the three year-old.

"Why isn't she your girlfriend?" Avery asked him.

"Why do you ask so many questions?" Stu replied.

"I heard you tell daddy that you like her and that she's beautiful."

"You're a nosy little bugger, aren't you?" he asked her, pressing his nose against her much smaller one.

Avery laughed. "Yes, I am. I like to know secrets!"

Courtney loved watching Stu interact with his niece. He was happy and playful with her. She loved seeing this side of him. It was incredibly endearing.

* * *

Stu, Courtney, and Martin were sitting in the living room, on the couches. Stu was sitting next to Courtney, his arm resting on the back of the couch, subtly behind her. Martin was on the loveseat near them. Avery was napping, after having played Hide and Seek with Courtney, as well as playing with the three year-old's dolls.

"So, now that the little one is napping," Martin began, "what exactly is going on with the two of you?"

Stu and Courtney looked at each other and laughed uncomfortably. "We're um…we're…friends," Stu replied.

"The way that you look at her says that's not true."

Courtney turned bright red, as did Stu. "Well, I obviously care about her very much. But for now, we're just…you know…um…friends," he tried to explain to his brother with as little detail as possible.

She decided to chime in to try and help him out. "We like each other…a lot. But we're not in a relationship or anything. I'm making him work for it."

"At least the lady is honest about it. I have to appreciate that," Martin said with a nod.

"Well, I don't want to put a label on it just for you, if it isn't something she's okay with," Stu explained.

"I can assure, Courtney, my brother here is simply mad at about you," Martin told her with a smirk.

She smiled. "I know he is."

"The fact that you're making him work for it…well played. I like that."

Stu looked up at the ceiling, shaking his head. "Why do you feel the need to do this to me?" he rhetorically asked.

"Aw, Stu," Courtney cooed, gently rubbing his leg.

"He speaks very highly of you. He has since the first time I ever heard him mention you," Martin told her.

"Oh really?"

"Absolutely. He always talks about you. I'm telling you, I've never seen him so hooked on anyone before."

"He's growing on me, too," she teased.

"Oh. You like my brother, do you?" he asked.

"I do. He's a very sweet guy."

"My mother and father did their best to raise us right. I wish you could meet my wife. She would love me," Martin told her. "But she's got baby number two on the way and didn't want to fly during her third trimester."

"Well, maybe I'll be able to meet her at some point. That is…if Stu decides to keep me around," she said, nudging the man next to her with her shoulder.

"We're going over in about a month and a half for a few shows. I'll bring you to meet Joanna…and my parents, if you'd like," Stu offered.

"I would love that. Besides, if Avery wants a girl to play with while Uncle Stu comes around, I can't let her down," Courtney replied.

Stu smiled at her, genuinely happy that she was onboard with meeting his family. "Then, it's settled, you'll meet the whole family."

"You know, Stu hasn't brought a woman around to meet us all in quite a number of years," Martin told her. "So, he must be pretty serious about you."

"Good. The last thing I want to be is another notch in his belt," she shot, sending a smirk in his direction.

"Stu, I must say, you've got yourself quite the winner here. She's got a really good head on her shoulders."

"Thank you," Courtney said.

"Quite honestly, if you showed up without her, I don't think Avery would let you into the house anyway," Martin commented.

Stu laughed. "You're probably right. She'd slam the door in my face," he agreed. "Like the time I jokingly told her I didn't bring any gifts for her."

"I remember that. We knew Stu was at the door and sent Avery to answer it. She was like 'hi Uncle Stu, what did you bring for me?' And he told her that he thought he was a sufficient enough gift. She shut the door in his face and stormed over to us. When we asked her where Uncle Stu was, she said 'he didn't bring gifts. He needs some time to think about what he has done to me.' We were all hysterical."

The three laughed at the story. "I'd love to hang out with Avery again. I have to say…she seems very advanced for a three year-old.

"She's really smart. And in a lot of ways, that's a really good thing. But she's a little too smart for her own good sometimes. She's very nosy, too," Martin told her. "Joanna and I have caught her a few times picking up the phone while we're on it, to listen in on our conversations."

"Oh jeeze. She's clever."

"To say the least."

* * *

Courtney had a wonderful time with Stu, Martin, and Avery. She spend the next day at home, allowing Stu some time with his family. Besides, she needed to give herself some time to clear her head. Being with Stu and his family made it harder for her to keep her emotional distance. Watching him with his niece made her melt.

The doorbell ringing caused her to jump, seeing as she wasn't expecting any company. She knew it couldn't be Stu. Other than him, she really wasn't interested in having any visitors. Courtney got off of the couch, where she had been sitting and reading a book. She walked over to the window and glanced out of it, rolling her eyes when she saw who was standing there. Exactly what she didn't want to deal with.

Courtney opened the door. "Paul. What a pleasant surprise," she spoke, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Can we talk?" he asked her.

"Do you promise to keep it quick?"

He sighed. "Yes."

"Alright." She moved over, allowing him to walk inside. She shut and locked the door. Upon turning around, she saw him standing right behind her. "You can sit on the couch," she said, motioning to it.

Paul sat on the loveseat. She sat on the other couch. "I heard that Stephanie was talking to you," he said.

"Oh? She told you?"

"No. Brian saw her bringing you into her office and asked me what that was about," he explained.

"So, Brian knows, too?"

"No. He just noticed that the both of you seemed uncomfortable and asked me what that was about."

"Oh."

"So, what was that about?" he questioned.

Courtney sighed. "Paul, she thinks you're cheating on her…with me."

"What?!"

"You really need to talk to her about what's going on. She knows that you call me and text me. She said that she has people looking into this whole thing. You have to tell her the truth. I told her she should talk to you. But…"

"I'll take care of her. Don't worry about it," Paul said. "I really wanted to see how you were doing."

"I'm fine."

"What's going on with you and Stu?"

She rolled her eyes. "Don't concern yourself with that. We're friends. He's a good guy. That's all."

"That's why I hired you to be his valet. I figured he would take care of you. I'm just concerned that maybe he's taking too much care of you and that you're more than friends. You know…people talk, and I have ears all over the place. I hear everything."

"He's not my boyfriend, if that's what you're asking me, Paul. Besides, I don't trust men at all. But you already knew that, didn't you?" she replied, her last statement oozing with passive aggressiveness.

"I know."

There was a silent pause between them. "Paul, why haven't you told Stephanie about me? She's your wife. She should know the truth."

"I know…I just…I don't know why I haven't told her yet." Courtney rolled her eyes at him. "Why are you avoiding me?"

"Because you're too much for me to deal with right now. I've got a lot going on. And quite frankly, you act like you're some prince charming coming in on his white horse. When quite frankly, we both know that it's because of you that my life is a mess," she replied. "You really need to work on boundaries."

"Maybe I do."

"Listen, Paul, I don't hate you. And I actually don't blame you for everything that has happened to me. I made my own decisions in my life. But I just need you to back off a bit. You're trying too hard, and it's just frustrated."

He nodded. "I'm just trying to do what I think I'm supposed to. I don't know what the hell I'm trying to do to be completely honest with you."

"You really need to talk to Stephanie."

"I told you I would take care of her."

"You have to really soon. Quite honestly, I don't need your wife pulling me out of the locker room asking me why her husband is calling and texting me incessantly. You know she's gonna go to Shawn and ask him about it. And it the truth comes out in a way that neither of us are involved in, I have just as much to lose as you do. I don't need everyone knowing about my life before you brought me here."

"Shawn won't say a word. He knows what's on the line. He wouldn't do that to either of us," Paul assured her.

"You should say something, though! She's your wife, Paul. She deserves to know why her husband is practically stalking some random twenty-five year-old new employee. It just looks awful for the both of us."

He nodded. "You're absolutely right," he agreed. "Alright. I'm gonna go to the Performance Center, then. Thanks for letting me in and talking to me."

"Yeah. No problem." The two stood up from the couches they had been sitting on and headed towards the front door. Courtney unlocked and opened it.

"I'll see you," Paul said.

"You will."

"Bye Courtney."

"Bye Paul."

And with that, he was gone. She shut the door and pressed her back to it. That went better than she expected it would. But she also knew that her secrets were going to come out in a bad way, if Paul didn't talk to Stephanie. And soon.


	22. Chapter 22

Dominos

Chapter 22

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. And I own Courtney. She's mine.

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**A/N: You guys make me so happy with these reviews that I can't seem to control myself. A massive thank you to: maketimetotime, Sonib89, Chi1078, and LilCountry24. As a thank you for the reviews, I'm already posting the next chapter. So...I hope you enjoy! Love you guys very, very much! XoXoXo**

* * *

The next evening, Courtney was home. Stu's brother and niece had left earlier that afternoon. However, she hadn't spoken to Stu yet. She had already packed her stuff up, knowing that tomorrow, they would be on a plane and back on the road. And she would finally be back with the man that she was quickly falling for.

Courtney was also finding more and more that she did want to open up to Stu about her past. She wanted him to know the truth. She absolutely hated keeping secrets from him. But she was too afraid of how he would react to everything. It made her uneasy that he was really starting to break through all of the walls that she had put up. And while Courtney had mixed feelings about it, she was hoping that he wouldn't let her down.

The doorbell rang, and Courtney felt a knot form in her stomach. She was not in the mood to deal with Paul again. And especially not another uncomfortable encounter with Stephanie. That was the last thing she needed right now. Courtney opened the door and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was Stu standing there with his bags.

"Hey you," she greeted, unable to hold back her beaming smile. This was definitely a pleasant surprise, for once.

"Hello beautiful," he replied.

"Are you moving in or something and just forgot to send me a memo?" she jokingly asked…not that she would really mind waking up to see his face every morning.

He laughed. "Actually, I just really missed you. So, I called the car company up and told them to just pick us up from here tomorrow morning. I was hoping that you wouldn't be opposed to having an overnight guest."

"Well, if that guest happens to be you, then, I would be more than happy to have you stay over," she replied. "Come in," she invited him.

"Thanks." He entered her house, bringing his bags with him. She shut and locked the door once he was inside. Courtney turned around and was almost immediately pulled into Stu's arms with his lips smashed against hers. She quickly wrapped her arms around him, all-too happy to be finally kissing him again.

When he finally pulled back, the two were out of breath. "I love it when you kiss me," she told him, a smile residing on her swollen lips.

"Well, get used to it. I could kiss you all day and night."

"I guess Martin and Avery left?"

He nodded. "They did. They absolutely loved you. Avery wouldn't stop talking about you for even a minute. Martin actually said that she reminded him of me because neither of us can apparently shut up about you."

"Oh my God. She's the cutest thing I've ever seen."

"Yeah. And she's got an attitude on her. Much like yours. Last night, she kept trying to make me play dress up with her. When I told her we should do something else because I wasn't going to dress up like a girl, she came back at me with 'well, if Courtney was here, she would play dress up with me. Maybe she's just nicer than you.' It was pretty funny. She kept using your name to try and guilt me into it. She was pretty unhappy that you weren't with us yesterday."

Courtney smiled. "I'm not gonna lie, she's a lot of fun to play with."

"I'm really happy that you two got on so well."

"So am I."

"And my brother kept telling me how perfect we were for each other. He think that you can keep me in line. He really wants his wife, Joanna, to meet you."

"That makes me happy."

"Good. I'm going to run to the bathroom really quick," he said, dropping his keys, wallet, and cell phone onto the table next to the door.

"Alright." He pressed another kiss to her lips and headed towards the bathroom.

"Can you check my e-mail on my phone for me?" he asked, before walking into the bathroom. "I think the flight is at seven…or seven-thirty. I can't remember. Just douche check for me, please," he asked.

"Sure."

Stu shut the bathroom door. Courtney picked up his cell phone and opened the e-mail application. She scrolled through a few e-mails and found their flight itinerary. Sure enough. It was a seven-o'clock flight. She really hated waking up so early. That was the one thing that she hated about her job. But it allowed her to spend so much time with the man she was crazy about. So, she knew she would have to deal with the whole waking up early thing. The phone beeped and vibrated, and a message scrolled across the top of the screen.

'Danielle: Babe, I had so much fun with you today. Maybe we can meet up again while we're in Texas. LMK xoxo'.

Courtney raised an eyebrow. "What the fuck…?" she whispered to herself. She felt anger and hurt rise inside of her. She put the phone down. Courtney knew that she may not have been Stu's girlfriend, but she believed that they were close enough that he shouldn't be spending his free time with Danielle.

Angrily, she put the phone back down on the table. Courtney sat on the couch and turned the television on. She began flipping through channels, barely registering anything that was on, as Stu came out of the bathroom.

"Is it seven?" he asked, taking a seat next to her.

"Yup," she simply replied.

He gave her a slightly confused look, as she ignored him and continued to rapidly flip through the channels. Stu wasn't sure what happened and why she suddenly seemed like she was mad about something. He contemplated putting his arm around her, but he quickly reconsidered, not wanting to make it worse.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

Courtney shot him a look. "Yup," she replied, her voice cold.

"Did I do something to you?"

"Nope."

"Okay…" Stu suddenly felt very uncomfortable and unwelcome. He wasn't sure what her sudden attitude was all about.

"I just hope that you realize that I rarely ever give my trust to anyone. Not even a little bit of it. And you've clearly gotten somewhere with me. So, if you think you can fuck around behind my back, I will find out, Stu. And then, you'll never, ever get my trust back again. You'll never be able to so much as put a finger on me. That means you'll be out of my life for good," she told him, throwing the remote down on the couch.

"Um…okay…I'm just not sure where all of this is coming from," he spoke, unsure of what was going on.

"Uh huh. Sure."

Stu got up from the couch and picked up his cell phone, which had a blinking indicator light. He, then, noticed that he had received a text message from Danielle a few minutes earlier. Stu concluded that Courtney must have seen the message, when she had checked him e-mail. He felt like such an idiot. Of course, Danielle would be the one to send him a message like that. And Courtney saw it and was pissed off because it looked like something was going on between the two of them behind her back…which explained what she said.

"I'm assuming that you saw this?" he asked, holding up the phone.

"I wasn't snooping. It just popped up when you had me check your e-mail. No wonder why that stupid bitch Danielle is the little cockroach that never seems to get the hint and go away. You're seeing her, too. I'm such an idiot for ever believing a word that came out of your lying mouth," Courtney sneered.

Stu shook his head. "That's not at all what happened. I can assure you that this seems like something bad. But it's not at all what she makes it out to be."

"Honestly, you don't owe me an explanation, Stu. It's not like I'm your girlfriend or anything. All we do is…flirt a lot…I guess. And now, we make out and have sex, too. I'm pretty much just a built-in fuck buddy for you. So…you're free to do whatever…or whoever…you want to," she shot back, clearly hurt.

Stu sat back down on the couch next to her. "Can you please let me explain that stupid message to you?" he asked her.

"It isn't necessary, Stu. I got it."

"Courtney, please, just hear me out. After I dropped my brother and Avery off at the airport, I decided to go to the gym for a little while because I had slacked the two days before, while they were visiting with me. So, I had worked out for about two or so hours. I didn't contact you because I was trying to give you some space. Lord knows I really wanted to at least send you a text. But anyway, after the workout, I went to the gym's juice bar and got myself a smoothie. So, I sat down at one of the empty tables with my smoothie. And out of nowhere, it felt like, Danielle just sat down right next to me at the table. I didn't even have any idea that she was even there," he explained. "She wouldn't stop talking and flirting with me, and I wasn't trying to be rude to her or anything, but I just really wanted to get out of there. So, I quickly finished my smoothie and did my best to ignore the two brain freezes that I had. I got up to leave. She asked me to go get some food with her. I politely declined and told her that I had somewhere to be and left. That's it. That's all that happened with her. I swear it. It wasn't anything more than that. I know it seems like it was more…based on what she said, but I promise you, that was all it was."

Courtney raised an eyebrow at him. "Really?"

He nodded. "I swear, Court. You know how much I feel for you. I would never do anything like that to you. Especially not after…we've gotten so much closer in the last few days. I know that you don't like to give in and trust people. But I've worked so hard for it. I wouldn't ever risk that for anyone. You have to believe me here. I swear, you're all I want. I would never risk that for anyone, especially her." He sounded desperate as he spoke.

"You really have no interest in her?" Courtney asked him.

"No. Not at all. I'm not interested in anyone, except for you. You're all that I want," he assured her.

She sighed, having chosen to believe what he had told her. "I'm sorry for getting bitchy with you. I just thought that there was something going on between the two of you. And besides that fact, that I hate her and want to knock her head off of her shoulders, the last thing I would want is for you to want someone else. At least, while things are…I don't know…the way that they are between us," Courtney explained herself.

"Trust me, I know how that looks. I completely understand why you got upset with me. I would be upset if I saw that someone else said something like that to you," he admitted. Stu knew that he would be pissed if he saw a message like that.

"Don't worry. No one would. I barely ever talk to anyone else."

"Courtney, if half of the guys in the locker room had your number, I can assure you, I would expect to see far worse from them. Besides, you know how I reacted when Curt was all over you," he pointed out.

"That's true."

"I'm sorry."

"You don't have anything to apologize for. Really."

"I just don't want to do anything to jeopardize what we have here. It means so much to me," he told her.

"I know. And I promise you that it hasn't been."

"I want you to feel like you can trust me. I don't want you to feel like you need to keep so many secrets," he said. "I want you to be comfortable being open."

"It's fear. I'm afraid you'll turn your back on me."

"I would never do anything like that to you."

"If you knew the truth, you'd probably think a lot differently."

He shook his head. "No. I know who you are. That's what matters to me more than anything that has happened in your past."

"If you did, I assure you, everything would change."

"Courtney, I know who you are when we're together. So, regardless of whatever happened that you're keeping from me, you're the same person I've spent nearly every day with for the last month. You're still that same woman who told me to go fuck myself when I tried to get in your pants the night that we first met. So, you can try and tell me that my feelings for you will change, but I promise you, nothing in this world could ever change how I feel about you."

"You just need to understand that…after my mother died…my life took a sharp turn. And I did a lot of things that…I felt that I had to. It wasn't much of a choice for me. But that led to a lot of other things. And my life just got out of control."

"Sometimes we have to do things that we wouldn't normally do when our circumstances change," he defended her.

"You don't know the half of it."

"I really wish that I did. I wish you could open up to me."

"So do I. I'm just not ready for that yet."

Stu nodded. "Fair enough. I can respect that."

"It isn't because of you," she quickly told him, not wanting him to get the wrong idea. She just wanted him to understand that it was something she had to work out within herself to be able to get to the point that she could tell him.

"I know that." Stu wrapped an arm around her, pulling her body closer to his, on the couch. She rested against him. "I just want to help you."

Courtney smiled at him. "I promise you, you're doing an amazing job without even knowing a thing," she said.

"Well, thank you. That means a lot to me."

Courtney turned around and straddled him. She leaned in and kissed him. "You're an amazing man."

"I try, my love."

"You succeed," she told him, before pressing another kiss to his lips.

Stu's arms found their way around her body. "You're so beautiful," he told her, his eyes gazing into hers.

"You're the most handsome man on this planet," she replied.

"I'm looking forward to going back on the road with you and sharing a bed with you every single night."

She grinned. "I like that."

"Nothing is better, in my opinion, than being able to shag you to holy hell, and then, pull you in my arms and fall asleep while I've got you in my arms."

"You're so cute," she whispered.

"Trust me, I'm a lucky man to be able to hold you in my arms."

"Day one, you were a complete asshole. Now, you've magically turned into my prince charming."

"Because I'm just completely crazy about you. You're perfect. To me, you're just…you're everything," he told her, his eyes conveying nothing but sincerity.

"If you keep this up, you're gonna make me fall, Stu," Courtney told him.

"Well, I've already fallen," he replied, pulling her in for yet another kiss. Her hands found their way onto his face, as they continued to kiss. He held her tighter in his arms. Stu pulled his lips from hers and pulled her in for a hug. Courtney nuzzled her face into his neck, her arms wrapping around him. Stu held her, just enjoying how good it felt to have her in his arms again. He knew that Courtney was undoubtedly the only woman for him. He had no doubts that he wanted to be with her. Not even one. He wasn't at all worried about the secrets that she was keeping. Nothing about her could dissuade him from wanting to be with her. Stu had fallen so hard for this woman. And he knew whatever it was that she wasn't telling him couldn't change that.

"Stu?" Courtney spoke, her head still resting in the crook of his neck.

"Yes, sweetheart?" he replied, his thumb gently caressing her lower back.

"Can you bring me upstairs to my bedroom and see what happens when we get there?" she asked him with a smirk.

Stu looked down at her. "I would love to," he replied, before lifting her up in his arms and bringing her upstairs.


	23. Chapter 23

Dominos

Chapter 23

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction and did not actually happen. And Courtney belongs to me. So…take that Stu.

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**A/N: I know everyone is dying to know what's going on with Courtney...and between Courtny and Paul. I promise you in the next couple of chapters all will be revealed. Thank you so much for the reviews: maketimetotime, Sonib89. and . You guys are awesome! Thank you so much! I appreciate all of the follows and favorites and reads and reviews that I get. So, enjoy this chapter, and please review :) Love you guys! XoXoXo**

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Courtney and Stu had just arrived at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas. They were both in particularly good moods considering that they had spent the previous night together and had spent it in bed. That…and they woke up, only to shower together, and while the pair was getting ready to leave, a game of grab ass ensued between the playful two.

As soon as the locker room door shut behind them, Stu's arms were wrapped around her. "You have no idea how difficult it is for me to resist you," he murmured, before his lips found their way onto her neck.

Courtney giggled at his actions. "Stu…you know, anyone can walk right in and find us like this," she warned him, though not pushing him away.

"Good. Then, everyone will know that they have to keep their hands off of you because you've already got me," he spoke, before his lips reclaimed their spot on her neck.

Courtney's arms snaked their way around his torso. "Yeah? Is that what you want? Everyone to know that I've been claimed?" she asked him.

Stu pulled back and looked at her. "You know that's exactly what I've been wanting," he spoke, his eyes reflecting nothing but sincerity.

She smiled. "Yeah? You know…you've got plenty of other opportunities here. You wouldn't really want to give them up for little ole me, would you? I mean…look at Danielle. That bitch is just desperate. You want to give up the chance to get all up in there?" she asked, obviously sarcastic about the woman she did not like.

Stu laughed. "Trust me, I would throw any other opportunities away to have you as my own, in less than a heartbeat. It isn't even a question. They don't mean anything to me. And Danielle definitely isn't one that I'd consider a real loss. Hell, I could lose out on a chance with anyone. Still wouldn't be a loss. Not if it meant that I can have you all to myself," he told her.

"You know exactly what to say to make a lady feel special," she said with a grin.

"Good thing I was simply speaking from my heart," he replied, before pulling her in for yet another kiss on her lips. Stu picked Courtney up in his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist. "I think it's about time we christen this locker room. I'm having a particularly hard time having you in here looking so good. I want to do something about it."

A knock on their locker room door quickly dashed that plan. Stu put Courtney down, while pouting. She walked over to the door and opened it, praying that this wasn't Paul, Stephanie, or anyone else that was going to irritate the hell out of her. "Courtney. Not who I was looking for," Danielle smugly spoke.

"Ah. Danielle, not someone welcome in my locker room," Courtney shot back at the woman standing before her.

"I'm sure that Stu would disagreed with you," the blonde retorted.

Stu smirked. He had watched these two exchange unpleasantries for long enough, without getting involved. He figured that it could only help his chances of being in a relationship with the brunette, if he backed her up. He stepped up behind Courtney and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Hello Danielle. What can my beautiful lady and I do for you today?" he asked her, making it a point for her to see that he was devoted to the woman with whom he'd been partnered up with and spending all of his time with.

"Actually, Stu," she began, ignoring his words, "I was wondering if you'd like to join me in catering for a little lunch date."

"I'm really sorry, Danielle. This actually isn't a very good time. I was just about to invite Courtney to accompany down to catering for a bite to eat. Even after spending our time off together for the last few weeks, I still can't seem to want to spend any of my time away from this beautiful face," he told her.

Danielle frowned. "Really? I mean…she's so…ugh. She's so not me. I'm pretty. I've got perfect hair. I'm tall and hot. I'm definitely quite a few steps up from her," Danielle spoke, trying to sound arrogant, though it came off as more of a whine and the beginnings of a tantrum.

"Danielle, you're a beautiful girl in your own special way. I'm sure that you'll have no problem finding someone to hang around who would actually be interested in you. But I've found the woman that I want. And it's Courtney," he explained.

Courtney resisted the urge to laugh in her face. She simply smiled up at Stu. He leaned down and pressed an affectionate kiss to her lips. "Well, Danielle, have a lovely day," Courtney smugly spoke, before stepping back and shutting the door in her face.

Stu turned her around in his arms and leaned down, his lips making their way back to hers. "You know, we've got a good hour or so until we have to even consider getting ready. Maybe…we should take advantage of that time," he suggested.

"Absolutely," Courtney agreed.

* * *

Courtney was in her black Bec and Bridge Imperial Deep V dress and a pair of Jimmy Choo Cosmic Suede pumps. Her hair and makeup had already been done. She was sitting on the couch, with her legs crossed, waiting for Stu to change into his trunks. He had been all over her since the night before, and she was enjoying every single minute of it.

Stu came out of the bathroom and walked right over to Courtney. "Oh God. You have no idea how hot you are when you're in nothing but your trunks," she groaned, looking up at his nearly nude body.

He smirked and sat next to her, his eyes glazed over with lust. "Yeah? You really think so?" he asked, as he brought his hand onto her knee, inching it up onto her thigh, slowly. She nodded. "You look really hot in that dress," he complimented. "It's so hard to resist the urge to rip it right off of you." He leaned in, pressing his lips onto the exposed skin of her chest and trailing them up her neck, onto her lips.

She pulled back. "Baby, you really need to calm down. There's plenty of time for that later. You're gonna end up going out there hard as a rock."

The Englishman sat back in his seat. "I'm sorry, love. You just…it's so hard to resist you. Your body…it just…it's so hot and turns me on so much."

"Baby, we really have to go out there."

"I know." The pair stood up. "I don't know what it is. I've been so turned on since last night. I can't stop," he told her.

She laughed. "Trust me, you turn me on just as much, and I really can't wait to get you back to that hotel room and get you naked," she told him, smirking at him.

"If we don't go now, we're going to end up getting ourselves in a lot of trouble because I'll ravage you right here," he warned her.

"Let's go, handsome," Courtney directed, taking his Intercontinental Title, walking over to the locker room door, and opening it. The pair walked out, with Stu shutting the door behind them. He followed her down the hallway, using all of his willpower to keep his eyes off of her ass, as they made their way to their destination. Stu sped up a little bit, so that he was walking next to her and not tempted to stare at her ass and end up dragging her into any of the nearby locker rooms, missing his match.

"Here," she said, handing his title over to him.

"Thank you, love." She gave him a smile

Once the pair had arrived at the gorilla position, they saw Stephen Farrelly already there, waiting for his opponent.

"Ready to give me a good arse kicking?" he asked Stu.

The Brit smiled. "Absolutely. I always love a good excuse to show off in front of the lady," he replied.

"Of course. You're always too happy to be able to show off in front of this beautiful, young woman," Stephen teased.

Courtney laughed. "He is a showoff," she agreed.

"What're you? On his side now?" Stu questioned, pretending to be upset.

"Are you denying that you like to look like a total bad ass out there because it makes you feel more macho in front of me?" she asked.

Stu pouted. "I'm not," he truthfully.

Stephen laughed. "It's alright, mate. If I had a woman that looked like Courtney on my arm, I would show off, too," he admitted, patting his old friend on the back. "You're treating my good friend Stu here alright?"

"Of course I am," Courtney replied. "He treats me better than you could imagine. I have to pay it forward."

"That's just what I like to hear," he said, giving her a friendly smile.

Stu wrapped an arm around her waist and pressed an affectionate kiss to the side of her head. "Well, let's go have some fun out there," he said, before grabbing his cape from one of the backstage assistants.

"You, too."

Stu's music hit, and he and Courtney made their way out to the loud crowd. She presented the Intercontinental Champion to the thousands of members of the WWE Universe in the arena, who were especially loud for the Superstar. He made his entrance, and the pair made their way down the ramp. Stu was being cocky, while Courtney was smugly smirking.

The pair got into the ring. Stu grabbed a microphone from one of the stagehands and smiled arrogantly at the camera. "Hello Texas! Land of the American cowboys! I bet you're all so excited to see your representative of the United States Championship come out here like a vigilante cowboy and pin me, right?" The audience was a split of cheers and jeers. Regardless of how much of a heel he had been, the crowd really seemed to enjoy him. "Well, I'm afraid I've got some bad news!" The audience mimicked the popular champion. "Your little Irish cowboy is about to take a Bull Hammer to the face and let all of you little cowboys down!" He laughed at them. Courtney sent an approving smile in Stu's direction.

Sheamus's music hit. The crowd cheered wildly for the babyface Superstar and United States Chamiopn. He made his way down the ramp, as Courtney and Stu moved to the corner of the ring to allow him to make his entrance.

"I'm trying so hard not to look at you because I'll get turned on. Stephen will never let me live it down if I have a boner during our match. Not to mention the entire world will see it," he spoke to her, having leaned closer to her ear.

Courtney smiled and stifled a laugh. "Well, I certainly don't want you to get all excited during your match, when I can't do anything to help you about it." He took the title off of his shoulder and handed it to her. "Besides, once we get back in that hotel room, we don't have to worry about anybody seeing anything. And you'll be all mine."

He gave her a look. "You're a real piece of work."

"I know," she said with a smile. Stu had to resist the urge he had to kiss her right there. "I'll see you in a little while, handsome. Good luck."

"Thanks, love."

Courtney went to duck under the ropes to get out. Stu held up the middle rope and stepped on the bottom rope to make it a little easier for her. He still didn't understand how she could possibly walk around in those shoes and not fall on her face. It was pretty impressive, he thought. Courtney gave him one last wink, before making her way down the steel steps and hanging out at the side of the ring to watch.

Courtney absolutely loved watching him in the ring. He became Bad News Barrett with such ease. He was so incredibly good at what he did. And he and Stephen always put on great matches. Unable to deny it, even if she tried, Courtney also loved watching him in those trunks. That was one sight she could stare at forever without getting bored. He looked hot.

The match was underway with both men gaining the upper hand at different points throughout the bout. As planned, Courtney waited for her signal to put the Intercontinental Championship title down, which she did. When Sheamus was getting ready for the Brogue Kick and the referee was checking on Bad News to make sure that he was alright, Courtney reached underneath the bottom rope and roughly yanked his leg out from under his body. That action caused him to fall forward. He got up and turned to the brunette. Courtney gave him a mischievous smile and blew him a kiss. When he turned back around to refocus on his opponent, he turned right into the Bull Hammer that Bad News had promised to the WWE Universe. Sheamus was knocked out cold, while Courtney was picking the title back up.

Stu quickly covered his opponent and gained the three-count, thereby winning the match. Courtney climbed up the steps and made her way back into the ring. She handed the title back to Stu, who held it up, while she held his other arm up.

The celebrated his victory in the ring for a few minutes, before heading out. Stu, once again the gentleman, stepped on the lower rope and held the middle rope up, so she could exit the ring, which she did. As she had bent over, Stu's eyes noticed her ass and mostly bare legs. He was glad that he was about to get out of sight of the cameras and spectators. He was beginning to lose the ability to control himself around her. Stu exited the ring behind her. The pair exited up the ramp and made their way backstage.

"You were great out there. You should definitely start getting involved in the matches more. You're great," Stephen complimented.

"Thank you. You and Stu did an awesome job out there. I love the matches you two have together," she replied.

Stu rested his hands on her shoulders. "We'll see you later, mate," he said, directing Courtney to their locker room. He would have spent more time socializing, but he had other pressing matters to attend to. Once inside, he shut and locked their door. He turned around to find the irresistible brunette behind him.

"You know, you look so sexy…all hot and sweaty…in those trunks and boots," she said stepping up to him.

A smile crossed his lips, as she hit on him. "I've been going absolutely mad, watching you out there. The dress is just…dangerous on you," he told her. "I should go take a shower first. I'm pretty gross right now."

"No way," she refuted. "We've waited long enough. Don't think that you're only one that's all hot and bothered now. Watching you out there was too much for me to handle." He remained silent. "I love watching you in that ring. You exude sex."

Still in her dress and heels, Courtney began walking backwards toward the couch. "You know what I'd really like?" she asked him, her eyes locked on his.

"W-what?" he stuttered, finding he was completely powerless when it came to Courtney. He was already getting hard just watching her.

"I'd like you to bend me over this arm of the couch," she told him, sitting the arm the couch, crossing her legs so that the hem of her dress rode up dangerously high on her thigh. "And, then, I'd like you to pull my dress up and push that massive cock inside of me. Then, I want you to pound the hell out of me."

Stu was damn near drooling over her. He walked over to his bag and pulled a condom out. He rested it on the back pillow of the couch, knowing he'd be needing it very shortly. Stu easily pulled her up off the arm of the couch and pulled her against him. He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. He ran his hands up her body onto her breasts. Stu pulled the front of the low cut dress over the curves of her breasts, though they were still clothed by her bra. He buried his face in her chest, pressing lustful kisses on her cleavage.

While Stu's lips were focused on her chest, his hands managed to find their way to the hem of her dress, which he slowly pulled up her thighs and over her hips. Stu brought his lips back onto hers. Then, he turned her around and bent her over the arm of the couch, just like she said she wanted him to. Stu grabbed the condom package off of the couch pillow. He ripped the foil open with his teeth and removed the latex protection from it. He pulled his trunk down enough to free his raging hard on from its confines. He rolled the condom onto it.

Stu reached down to Courtney's thong and pushed it to the side. He slid himself inside of her and let out a guttural moan. He was glad that she still had her heels on, as they brought her hips much closer to his pelvis. He shut his eyes, being overwhelmed by the feeling of being inside of her again. It may have been the fourth time since they'd woken up that morning, but that didn't make it feel any less incredible.

When he adjusted to her tightness around his length, Stu reached to her hips and held onto them for some leverage, as he began thrusting inside of her. "Oh my God. You feel so good," she moaned.

"You feel incredible. I've been dying for this since we finished after we got here. It feels so good, baby," he spoke, his breathing labored, as he began thrusting harder.

"Baby, please, fuck me harder," Courtney begged him. Stu refused to deny her what she wanted and began thrusting harder. She was moaning but was obviously trying to not be very loud, not wanting anyone outside of the locker room to hear them.

The sight before him was completely overwhelming. Courtney brought knee up onto the arm of the couch. Stu was beyond turned on by the woman that he had been falling for. And he let it be known, as he continued to push harder and deeper.

"Baby, you're making me feel so good," she breathed.

"Good. You make me so hard. I swear, I want you all of the time."

Courtney looked back over her shoulder, Stu's eyes caught hers. "I want you to come for me," she encouraged him. He couldn't speak but simply nodded in reply. His grasp on her hips tightened. "Mmm baby," she moaned, her eyes showing him desperation and lust. It pushed him over the edge. Stu threw his head back and buried himself all of the way inside of her, as he came. His actions caused her eyes to roll back in her head at the pleasure he had inflicted on her. His eyes were shut tightly, as he reveled in the pleasure of his release.

The two remained there for a couple of moments. When he had regained control of himself, Stu slowly pulled out of Courtney. He carefully took the condom off and tied the open end of it shut and tossed it into the garbage bin. He walked over to the sink in the bathroom and washed his hands. Stu, then, made his way back over to Courtney, who had made herself presentable again.

"You are incredible, love," he spoke, before leaning in and kissing her. She smiled against his lips.

"You're not too bad yourself. That felt so amazing," she told him.

"I have to jump in the shower. You wanna join?" he offered.

"No thanks. I'm gonna shower when we get back to the hotel."

"Alright. I'll be out shortly," he said, before giving her another kiss.

"Okay."

With one last kiss, Stu walked in the bathroom to shower. Courtney sat on the couch, smiling and feeling completely satisfied. She was enjoying the relationship she had developed and was continuing to develop with Stu. Courtney was also starting to think that maybe she should open up to him soon and tell him about her past. She wasn't quite ready yet, but she thought maybe in another couple of weeks or so, it could happen. Things had been so good between them that she didn't want to keep any more secrets from him. She just hoped that he didn't have as a poor of a reaction as she feared he might.


	24. Chapter 24

Dominos

Chapter 24

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction and didn't really happen. And Courtney is mine.

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**A/N: Thank you to maketimetotime, DenyingTheTruth, Sonib89 and Chi1078. I know everyone is dying to find out the secret. I've received some guesses, but I'm not going to say whether they were right or not. But...trust me...you'll be finding out very, very soon! Love you guys! XoXoXo**

* * *

After another successful trip on the road with more sex than either of them had ever expected to have, Courtney and Stu were back home in Tampa, Florida. She was nervous. After continued text messages and phone calls, Courtney had decided to allow Paul to come over. He insisted that he needed to talk to her.

That meant she couldn't spend the night with Stu like she had wanted to. That was disappointing enough. The worst part was that Courtney knew the only way to avoid having Stu come over was if she told him he couldn't.

And to not arouse any suspicion, Courtney had been faking not feeling well when Stu had asked her about coming over and spending the night at his house. She told him that she just wanted to stay in bed and not risk getting him sick either and, if she was feeling better, she would see him the next day. Courtney felt awful for lying to him. But, truth be told, she couldn't let him find out that Paul was coming to her house. That would cause too many problems, and she really wasn't looking to deal with it quite yet. She needed some more time.

So, Courtney sat on the couch, with Paul sitting next to her. They were plagued by an uncomfortable silence, which she was wishing that she was with Stu, and he was wishing that he could find something to say.

"So…have you spoken to Stephanie yet?" Courtney finally asked, breaking the silence between them.

Guilt washed over his face. "No," he admitted.

She gave him a look. "Seriously? Big, strong, scary Triple H won't tell his wife about the new chick?"

"It's really complicated Courtney. If you were in my position, you'd understand," he defended himself.

Courtney rolled her eyes. "You better tell her soon. You're not the only one who's keeping this all a secret from someone. If you don't tell her soon, either one, I will. Two, she'll find out, if she thinks to look at your bank account. Or three, Stu will tell her."

"You told Stu?!" he asked her, his face changing from timid to seemingly furious in two seconds flat.

"Not yet. But I'm going to," she told him.

"You can't tell him," Paul shot back. "I haven't told my wife, and you want to tell some guy that you valet for?"

"He's more than that," she replied, starting to get a little heated herself. Who the hell was he to think that this was for him to tell, and she wasn't allowed to say a word?

Paul rolled his eyes at her. "I'm sorry for that. I mean, your good friend, Stu," he replied, mocking her.

"Try again. Don't be dense, Paul. He's more than just my friend. And I don't like lying to him," she retorted.

"What do you mean he's more than you're friend?" he questioned, clearly not liking where this was going.

Courtney bit her lower lip. "I…I didn't think that it'd be possible. But…I'm falling for him," she admitted.

"You think that I did all of this so that you could come here and fuck a wrestler who works for me?" he asked her, in disbelief.

"Don't you dare come in here and think you can talk to me any old way you please," Courtney scolded him, her tone going from timid to angry quickly.

"No. I have done a lot for you. I took you from having absolutely nothing to having everything you could possibly want and more. I've been risking my marriage, my family, my career…everything I have. And this is the thanks that I get from you? You fuck my employees?! Are you out of your goddamned mind, Courtney?" he yelled at her.

"Don't get all upset at me. First of all, I didn't ask you for a fucking thing. You swooped in like you were some fucking superhero and gave me a bunch of shit to clear your conscience. Secondly, you have absolutely no right whatsoever to tell me who I can and can't be with," she retorted, raising her voice just as loud as his. "You of all people should not be acting like such a fucking asshole. You should at least be happy that I found someone who gives a shit about me. Unlike you and just about anyone else that has ever walked into…and out of my life."

Paul turned red with anger.

* * *

Stu felt badly that Courtney wasn't feel too well. He knew that she said she just wanted to stay in alone tonight and didn't want to risk getting him sick. But Stu had this overwhelming need to take care of her. He knew that would be the right thing to do with all things considered. After everything, he was trying to prove he was a good guy and show her that he could trust him, and he wouldn't walk away from her. So, he knew he had to do right by her. Besides, he wanted her to see that it wasn't about him. He didn't care about catching anything, as long as he was able to take care of her and help her feel better. He also wanted her to know that after all of their time together, especially as of late, it wasn't just about sex for him.

So, Stu went ahead and grabbed a couple of DVDs he thought she might enjoy from the local Best Buy. He stopped at a florist and picked up some flowers for her. And he made her some chicken noodle soup and put in in a Tupperware container. He was confident that she would be surprised to see that he had done all of this for her. He was positive that she would be really happy to see that he cared so much about her.

Getting into his car, Stu was excited to see the woman who had stolen his heart. He found that he really just wanted to be with her more than anything. The prospect of it made him happy. He typically didn't get this way over women. But he knew that Courtney was special. At least, to him, she was.

Stu made the five minute drive to her house. As he pulled up in front of her house, he felt a knot in his stomach. There was another car in her driveway.

This confused him immensely. Courtney had said that she wasn't feeling well. If she didn't feel well and didn't want him over, then, who the hell was at her house now? She didn't ever have visitors from what he had known…mostly because he was always with her.

Stu had a really bad feeling about this. But he brushed it off, telling himself that he was being crazy and overprotective of her. He took the bag with the soup and DVDs from the front seat. He grabbed the flowers, as well and got out of his car. As Stu walked toward her front door, he could see that the light was on in her living room.

As he got closer, he noticed that she wasn't alone in her house. In fact, Paul was with her. His heart dropped into his stomach. They were clearly arguing about something. He couldn't hear anything but continued to watch them.

Once he saw Paul pull Courtney into his arms, Stu was done watching this. He couldn't handle this. He turned around and walked about to his car. He put everything that he had brought with him in the front seat and just sat there for a few minutes. He wanted to go in there and ask them what the hell was going on. But he didn't. Stu couldn't believe she was seeing Paul. Not only was he a married man with three kids, but he was pretty sure that he and Courtney were more than just sleeping together. At least that's how it felt to him. After everything that had happened, Stu could not believe she would do this to him.

This hurt him. A lot.

Stu decided to start his car and drive back to his house. He drove back, unable to focus on anything else but how badly he was hurt by her. When he got home, Stu parked in his driveway. He took his things with him and went into his house. Stu put the soup and flowers in the refrigerator. He tossed the bag of DVDs onto his kitchen table.

Then, Stu sat on his couch, thinking. He couldn't believe that this was really happening. He didn't understand how she could do this to me. He had tried so hard to prove to her that he wasn't like everyone else, but she was seeing Paul behind his back. He wanted to gain her trust. He wanted her to see how much he truly cared about her. He wanted to help her through the things she was going through. Stu just wanted to make her happy.

And for what?

To find out that she was screwing Paul Levesque behind his back the whole time? No thank you. That was why he didn't do this with any of the other women. This is why he didn't let anyone else in the way he let her in. Especially the women in the WWE. They would screw their way to the top, and he didn't want to be used by anyone. Stu never wanted to get involved with someone and care about her, only to be dropped when someone bigger and richer came around.

Stu didn't want to watch his heart get broken. And he finally let his guard down. Only to find out that she was doing exactly what he was trying to avoid having done to him. He didn't want to be vulnerable. Stu didn't want to risk getting hurt. But he gave her everything he had to offer. Courtney had his heart, and he'd have done anything for her.

Now, he hated to admit the truth, but she had broken his heart. Stu had fallen for her. Harder than he'd ever fallen before. Though he'd avoided using the dreaded L-word, he knew the feelings were there. And now, he was just hurt worse than he could have imagined. Maybe they weren't officially in an exclusive relationship or anything, but they spent nearly all of their time together. They had shared a bed at night. Hell, he even had her naked in bed with him and opted to hold her and not have sex with her. He thought that had said it all.

But he guessed he was mistaken.

To make matters worse, Stu didn't even know what he was going to do for the next two days until they got back on the road. All he wanted to do was be with her. And that was no longer an option for him.

Hell, Stu didn't even know what it would be like once they got back on the road. Stu couldn't share a bed with her anymore. He wasn't even sure if he would be able to handle sharing a room with her. This was a complete clusterfuck. Stu had no idea what to do. Should he confront her? Or should he just not say anything about it? He didn't know.

Stu knew that Courtney said she had done some things in her past that she wasn't proud of. But here she was…sleeping with her boss's husband. Maybe she was right. Stu knew that he wouldn't be able to look at her the same way again. Not after this.

"I still can't lie to Stu, Paul. And you may not like it, but I'm gonna have to tell him," Courtney said. The last hour that she had spent with him was just full of every type of emotion she thought existed. She was feeling very overwhelmed.

"Courtney, please, just wait. At least give me some time to talk to Stephanie before you talk to him."

"I'll try. But…I can't make any promises to you," she replied.

"Alright, Courtney. I guess I should probably get going now," he said, standing up from her couch.

She nodded. "Okay. Well, thanks for coming over."

"Please try to stop ignoring me so much," he requested, giving her a look.

"I will make a better effort to not ignore you all of the time," she agreed with a nod.

"Thank you."

"Well, I guess I'll talk to you or see you soon," she said, as the two walked toward the front door.

"And if you tell Stu, please let me know. I don't need Stephanie finding about you from anyone but me," he told her.

"I will," she assured him.

"Alright. Thanks. Goodnight, Court."

"Goodnight," she reciprocated. He walked to his car, while Courtney shut and locked the door.

She sat back on the couch. She wished that she was spending her night with Stu. She felt like an asshole for lying to him. But she didn't want to risk him seeing her with Paul.

This whole secrecy thing was really getting to be too much for her to handle. She hated hiding anything from him, much less everything. As much as it scared her, Courtney trusted him. He had done nothing but proven his loyalty to her.

She decided to call Stu and see what he was up to. It was only eight-thirty, and she was confident he wasn't sleeping or anything.

Courtney grabbed her cell phone from the coffee table and found his number. She made the call. It rang three times before going to his voicemail. She thought that was a little odd. It usually rang a lot more before going to his voicemail. But…she didn't think he'd hit the ignore button for her. So, she opted to leave him a message.

"Hey Stu. I was just calling to see what you were up to. I…I miss you. I guess…just call me whenever you get this. Bye handsome." She ended the call, hoping that she would hear back from him soon.

But her phone never rang.


	25. Chapter 25

Dominos

Chapter 25

Disclaimer: This is all fictional. And Courtney is mine.

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**A/N: Again, the reviews are wonderful. You guys make me so happy! Thank you Sonib89, maketimetotime, Chi1078, and DenyingTheTruth. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I'd love to hear what you think after reading it! Love you guys! XoXoXo**

* * *

The next day, Courtney was completely confused in her current situation. Stu had never called her back. He never responded to any of her text messages, either. And he had never ignored her before. It upset her because she knew that he was purposely not responding to her, at this point. She didn't get any sleep because she missed him, and she couldn't stop thinking about what could have possibly happened to make Stu want to ignore her. Courtney just didn't understand what was going on. She wanted to know. She'd hoped that maybe he'd change his mind and get back to her. At least to explain why he was acting like this.

By the time the clock informed her it was one o'clock in the afternoon, Courtney still hadn't heard from him, and it upset her. She was sick of waiting to hear back from the man she felt so strongly for. She had no idea what his problem was. That's why Courtney decided to go to his house and figure this out. At least she would have some kind of an answer.

Courtney parked in front of his house, noting that his car was in the driveway, so it wasn't like he was out and just didn't have a chance to call her back or send a text message at the absolute least. She got out of her car and walked up to the door, immediately ringing the doorbell and waiting for the door to open.

Moments later, it did. Stu looked surprised to see Courtney standing there. He also looked…different. Something was definitely off with him.

"Hey…" she greeted.

"What're you doing here?" Stu asked her, not looking happy to see her standing in front of his door.

Courtney furrowed her brow in confusion. "I wanted to see you, and you weren't calling me or texting me back," she replied.

He let out a bitter laugh. "I'm sure you really wanted to see me. I wasn't returning any of your messages because I didn't want to."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He shrugged.

"Why have you been ignoring me?" she asked.

"Why would anyone ignore any other person? Because they obviously don't want to talk to the person," he coldly replied.

"What the hell is your problem?" Courtney asked him, starting to get really frustrated with him. She had no idea why he was acting so cold, but she'd grown sick of it already.

"What do you think my problem with you is?"

"I have no idea," she replied.

"You lied to me yesterday."

Courtney felt the color drain from her face. He knew about last night. At least she understood why he was upset with her. "W-what?" she asked, clearly guilty.

"Would you like to hear a really funny story? I swear, you'll laugh that ass of yours off. It's a real hoot. So, I felt awful that you told me you weren't feeling well and didn't want me to catch whatever you may have had. I didn't care if I got sick because all I was doing was worrying about you. So, stupid me, I made some chicken noodle soup, bought some DVDs, and I picked up a dozen roses. I went over to your house, only to find that sick Courtney who wanted to be left alone with her germs already had company and seemed to be feeling much better."

"Shit…" she muttered. "Can we talk about this?"

"Why? Are you going to try to lie to me some more?" he asked her, the hostility evident in his voice.

"Stu, can you please let me in so we can talk?" she pleaded with him.

"You know, I cared so much for you. I just wanted you to see that. That was all. But…it blew up in my face. I can't say I'm surprised, though. This is the exact reason that I try not to get too close to any of the Divas. They'll make you care about them, and then, they'll turn their backs on you, once you get too involved. I've seen it happen countless times. But you…I should have known…you're not any different than the lot of them."

"If you want to be mad at me, that's fine and understandable. I don't blame you. I lied to you. But I owe you an explanation."

He let out a laugh. "You really think I want to listen to you conjure up some more lies that I'll fall for, so you can continue making a fool of me?" he rhetorically questioned her.

"I deserve that, Stu…but…please…just give me a chance to explain this. Please?" she begged him.

Stu hated to admit it, but he couldn't kick her off of his property, as much as he wanted to. He felt too strongly about her to be able to make her walk away that easily. "Fine," he relented. Stu moved out of the doorway. Courtney walked in.

She really couldn't believe this was happening. He was trying to do something sweet for her, and she ended up ruining it and being an asshole.

Stu shut the door and led her over to his couch, where they both sat down. Courtney took a deep breath. "None of this is what you think it is."

"It looked to me like you've gotten yourself involved with a married man…one of your bosses," he matter-of-factly replied.

"You really think that I'm sleeping with him, don't you?"

"That's exactly what it looks like, Courtney. Tell me something…did you purposely make me fall for you? Or was that just an accident? Am I nothing but collateral damage to you, as you screw your way to the top?" he questioned, harshly, though Courtney could see nothing but hurt residing in his eyes. And she felt badly for that.

"Stu, I swear it…that…that isn't it."

"Then, tell me, if I'm wrong, then, what was I seeing?" he demanded.

"I can't exactly tell you right now…"

He rolled his eyes. "That's right. Courtney…Queen of Secrecy. You know…just…give me a break. I'm so finished with this shit. I don't need it from anyone, much less from you," he spoke, sick of being in the dark about everything when it came to her.

"Stu, you don't understand."

He laughed bitterly at her. "And I should believe you why? Because you've always been so forthcoming with me?" he questioned sarcastically.

"Because you know how I feel about you."

"Quite frankly, Courtney, I really don't know much about you at all. And I'm so sick of it, at this point. Honestly, if you want to keep your entire life a bloody secret, then, that's your prerogative. Then, you should go ahead and find someone who doesn't care enough to want to know. I can't do it anymore. I've tried so hard to deal with this secrecy and feeling like you're hiding so much from me. So, if you don't want to be honest with me and tell me what in the hell is going on here, then, you may as well get the hell out of my house and find someone else to valet for. Because I'm…I'm finished with whatever…this…is."

Courtney remained silent. She knew what the ultimatum was. Either she could tell him the truth about everything…or she would have to lose him. And though there were so many things that Courtney was unsure of in her life, the only thing she knew for certain was that she did not want to lose Stu. Especially not over this. Her past had done nothing but led her down a dark path for so long. The last thing she wanted was for it to ruin this, a well. As much as she didn't want to tell him everything, Courtney knew that she no longer had a choice in the matter.

"Fine," she relented. "You want to know the whole story?"

"I want something from you. It's so hard to feel so much for someone, when you tell me nothing and lie to me."

She sighed. "Okay. I guess I'll start from the beginning." Stu couldn't believe it. She was going to tell him everything. He doubted this day was ever going to come. "So, my life was pretty normal. I didn't have a father. But my mother was amazing. She was the greatest person in my life. My grandparents died before I turned thirteen, so it was just my mom and me. When I was seventeen, like I've told you, she died. She passed right after I graduated high school. So, I didn't have any family left at that point. So, lucky enough, my mom left me some money. I was able to continue living in our apartment. I had a job. I was supposed to go to college, but I couldn't afford it. So, I had to focus on making ends meet. At first, it was okay. But it started to get harder and harder. I decided to get a second job to help with the bills. I answered an ad for a model. The money seemed to be pretty decent. I had just turned eighteen, and I knew that if I could do this and make some good money, I would be able to save for college. So, being naïve, I went to this 'photo shoot'. Turned out, it was really just some sleazy, douchebag who was willing to pay me five-hundred dollars if I would take my clothes odd. I refused to and left. But then, I didn't have enough money for the rent.

"So, as much as I didn't want to, I went back to him and accepted the offer." Courtney took a deep breath and let it out, feeling ashamed that he was hearing about this. "I wasn't happy about it…or proud of it. I was completely ashamed. But…the money was pretty good for one day of work. He invited me back. And unfortunately, I had to take him up on that offer. The second time I went there, he had a friend with him. He owned a club…you can imagine what kind of club the asshole owned. He told me I could probably pull in about eight-hundred dollars a week. So, as much as I didn't really want to do it, I liked having a roof over my head and food to eat. I felt like I didn't really have a choice in the matter.

"I went to work for him at this sleazy little strip club. The money wasn't bad. I made about five to six-hundred dollars a week….not quite eight hundred, but it was still pretty good when it came to making ends meet. I could pay bills and save some money. I was still working during the day at a clothing store near my house, so with both of those jobs, I was keeping my head above water and saving for college. Then, one night, I saw my high school boyfriend and his friends come in. I quit on the spot. I couldn't handle doing that," she explained. "There's nothing more degrading then having the guy you dated for two years watch you dance on a pole for his money. I couldn't handle doing that. I just wanted to be so far away from that place.

"So, I moved to California. I wanted to be so far away from New Hampshire that no one I had ever known would see me. I, once again, got a job as a stripper…seeing as that it paid better than a lot of other jobs. Again, I made pretty decent money in order to support myself. The money was better than it was in the middle of nowhere in New Hampshire. Then, one night while I was there, I met this guy. He seemed like he really didn't belong in that kind of place to begin with. He was different than anyone I'd ever met before. He didn't come off as some sleazy pervert. He seemed kind of interested in me, which was odd to me, but who was I to question that?

"Turned out, he ran an escort service. So, he wasn't interested in me for much other than working for him. At this point, I was nineteen, and I felt like I didn't have much else to lose at that point." Courtney stopped talking for a moment. She was already embarrassed that she had told him this much. But she knew that this was her only chance to hold onto Stu. And she would rather go through this than lose him.

"I was pretty much a high-class prostitute, in theory. I was told that I didn't have to sleep with any of my clients unless I wanted to. But they would pay me a lot more if I did. I chose not to for the first couple of times I did it. And while it didn't make me very popular, I still made really great money. So, I didn't think I was doing anything wrong. I was literally getting paid to get wined and dined and act interested in older guys who wanted companionship. No big deal, I thought. One night, I had an appointment to go out with this one guy. He was loaded, handsome, and young, which was really weird because it was usually just older guys who wanted the girlfriend experience while their wives were banging the pool boys or whatever. I couldn't understand why this guy needed an escort. I remember thinking that he could have easily done a hell of a lot better than me for free. But I was just happy that I thought I'd be able to enjoy myself.

"So, he invited me back to his hotel room after we went out. I declined. I was adamant about not sleeping with any clients. That's the last thing I wanted to do, seeing as I was already not proud of what I was doing. But he was really smooth. And lo and behold, there we were talking and having fun, in his hotel room. I guess I let my guard down. Then, he offered me five thousand dollars to sleep with him. I declined and explained that I didn't do that."

Courtney paused and bit her lower lip. She found herself getting emotional. She waited until it subsided a few moments later, in order to continue. "Turns out, he wasn't actually asking me. He was telling me…so…"

"Courtney, I'm so sorry," Stu apologized, feeling badly for her. At this point, he felt like he was invading her privacy for demanding the truth from her. "You don't have to tell me anymore of this," he told her. He was upset that she lied to him, but he could understand why she wasn't forthcoming with this information.

"No. I'm going to tell you everything. I've gotten this far, right? Just let me get it all out. I'm sick of hiding it all from you anyway." She took a deep breath. "It wasn't like I was a virgin or anything. I lost to an ex-boyfriend in high school…as a matter of fact, the one who walked into the strip club I was working in. But…" She shook her head slowly. "Nothing ever hurt so badly. So…he did his thing. When he was done, I got dressed. He left an envelope on the bed with five thousand dollars in it. I had never felt like such a slut in my entire life. But…I took it…and I left." Courtney's eyes were focusing on anything but Stu, at this point. She got quiet again, trying to regain her composure, as she felt tears fill her eyes.

"I-it wasn't your fault, Court," he told her, his voice soft.

"I put myself in that position, Stu. So, I wouldn't say that it wasn't my fault. But…I quit that job after that incident. I couldn't handle going through that ever again. I was pretty depressed. But at that point, I had managed to save a decent amount of money. So, I went back to being a lowly stripper and enrolled myself in college because I wanted nothing more than to be able to work somewhere where I could keep my clothes on…and never have to worry about taking them off to get paid again. I figured once I'd gotten a degree, I could live a completely different life, and I could leave all of this bullshit in the past. And for a year, my life was fairly uneventful. I stripped about four nights a week, and the rest of my time I was either in school or studying and doing homework. Student by day, stripper by night. What a great life.

"In my sophomore year, I was working one night, and, as if I hadn't already dealt with enough at that point, I was onstage and noticed a group by the stage…professors from my school…including one that I had. He was the Communications Chairperson. I know that he recognized me. I wanted to die right there. If that wasn't bad enough, a couple of days later, after class had ended, my professor had asked me to come to his office. So, I did. Stupidly. That's when my professor gave me the option to get an 'A' in his class…if I slept with him. If I didn't, he would fail me and make sure everyone knew exactly what I did for money."

"Are you serious?" Stu questioned, in disbelief. Now, the whole not trusting men thing was really making a lot of sense to him. She had nothing but bad experience after bad experience. He didn't blame her for having trouble trusting him now.

"Yeah. I had worked so hard to pay my tuition. I needed to do well. And I worked so hard to keep my GPA high. So, I slept with my professor. Another classy move on my part. It happened a few times. I completely hated myself for it. A few weeks later, when the semester finally ended, I got an 'A' and was so disgusted with everything that I quit college. I couldn't go back there again. I couldn't be anywhere near him. I decided that it would be in my best interest to move again. I went to Vegas. I didn't want to see any of those people ever again. I got another job as…you can only guess. A stripper! My mother would be so proud of me. I was really depressed at that point. It was bad. I never wanted to wake up. I guess when I got there, I was very...suggestible you could say. I could barely get my ass onstage to work. One of the women I worked with convinced me that she had the perfect solution for all of my problems."

Courtney paused. "You must be so disgusted with me right now," she said, her eyes still not meeting his.

"What? No…Courtney, you tried to do what you could to make ends meet. Maybe it wasn't ideal or anything, but it just seems like every time you tried to do anything to better yourself, you got a shitty hand dealt to you."

"I'm a nude model, stripper, and an escort. Just the girl you'd love to bring home to your family," she sarcastically shot.

"Your past doesn't make you a bad person."

"I beg to differ. But anyway…I developed a drug habit in Vegas. So, to be completely honest, I really can't tell you very much about my time as a cocaine-snorting, pill-popping stripper. But…one of the women who worked there, who I had become good friends with and actually lived with for a few months…overdosed. She died. That's when I realized I had a really bad problem. I spent thousands and thousands of dollars on this junk. I'd gone through so much money. And now, my friend was dead. So, in true Courtney form, I moved again. This time, I went to New York. I enrolled myself in an in-patient treatment center. Ninety days later, I was free and clean. I was ready to start my life again. Twenty-four, in New York, and no money. I went back to what I did best and found a new strip club to work in," she explained.

"Now, I understand why you were so secretive," he admitted. "But I am glad that you told me because I want to be able to be here for you and to be able to help you. I just…I don't understand the thing with Paul."

Courtney nodded. "That's because I'm not done. About four months ago, I was at work one night, when a familiar face showed up…Shawn…Michaels. I knew who he was. And he didn't want me to take my clothes off. He told me to get my stuff and leave with him. I was confused, but I'd hoped that because he was famous, he wouldn't…put me in any of the situations that I'd been in before. I got pretty nervous when he parked in a hotel parking lot. He promised me that it wasn't about sex. In fact, I had a good feeling that I knew what it was about. We went to his room. And Paul was already there." Courtney took a deep breath. "Alright, listen, before I tell you this, you have to promise me that you won't repeat it," she told Stu.

"I'm not going to repeat a word of anything you've told me. This is all between the two of us," he assured her.

Courtney nodded. "Thank you. So, they asked me if I knew who they were. I told them that I did. Paul offered me this job…along with the house that I live in…the car that I drive…pretty much everything that I have. How could I refuse that offer?"

"He just offered you all of it to work for the company?" Stu questioned, feeling like he was either missing something or needed to get better at contract negotiations.

"I had to promise…contractually…that I wouldn't get involved in stripping ever again," she told him.

"But…why would he care?"

Courtney found herself more nervous now than she had been through the rest of this. "Stu, I'm not sleeping with Stu. He found me because he was looking for me."

He crinkled his forehead. "I don't understand. Am I missing something here?"

She nodded. "The reason that Paul bought me a house and car…and gives me so much money…and gave me this job…is because…" She paused for fear of how Stu would react to this. "Because he's my father."

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**A/N: Aaaaaaaand this is the chapter you guys have been waiting for. I know it's a bit melodramatic and a bit much, but I just can't help myself sometimes. And I would also like to say that DenyingTheTruth and Sonib89 hit the nail on the head :)**


	26. Chapter 26

Dominos

Chapter 26

Disclaimer: This is all fictional. I own Courtney.

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**A/N: Wow. Nine reviews? You guys are seriously amazing. A massive thank you to: Ashes2Dust18, Emmettluver2010 (You did call part of it lol), Claire Moxley, Chi1078, IShitIt88, LilCountry24, maketimetotime, Sonib89, and DenyingTheTruth. I'm glad I got so many positive reviews. You guys made me really happy...especially because the day I posted it was not a very good day for me. You guys definitely made me feel a lot better. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Again, I really appreciate all of the reviews you guys posted. Seriously, you're all amazing. Love you guys! XoXoXo**

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"I'm sorry. He's your father?" Stu asked in disbelief.

Courtney nodded slowly. "He is."

"Oh my God," he breathed.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. I just…I couldn't. In fact, Paul's gonna be pissed that I even told you."

"Why would he be mad at you?"

"He hasn't told Stephanie about me yet. And she thought, like you did, that we were sleeping together," Courtney explained.

"Wow."

She stared at the ceiling, as tears clouded her vision. She didn't want to cry. Especially not in front of him. She was embarrassed enough. Courtney didn't want to lose her shit and start crying in front of him. She was just really overwhelmed with the current situation. Courtney hadn't told all of that to anyone. She had been the only person who knew her entire story. But now, Stu knew. And she felt uncomfortable.

She was confident that he thought a lot differently about her after hearing all of that. Truth be told…who wouldn't feel differently? She didn't know what to say to him anymore. She didn't even know what she was supposed to say to him, at this point. And now, Courtney felt like she was a complete whore. She didn't want to catch Stu's eyes with her own and feel like she was being judged by him. It wasn't like she wanted her life's story to play out the way that it did. It was just too embarrassing for her.

"So…um…I guess I should probably go now," Courtney said, standing up from the couch, no longer wanting to be in this situation.

"Oh…" Stu stood up next to her. "You don't have to go, Court."

She let out a bitter laugh. "Really? Because I can see how uncomfortable you are right now. And I feel it, too. I think it's just better if I leave," she said, walking towards the door. Stu followed behind her.

"Please don't leave."

"You know, you'll never look at me the same way again, Stu," Courtney spoke, refusing to look at him. "And…I really can't handle knowing that. I am so sorry that I lied to you. But I…I was never seeing anyone else," she said, before opening the door and walking out. Stu continued to follow behind her.

"Courtney, I'm asking you not to leave," he insisted.

"I really have to go…now." She unlocked her car and got in the driver's seat. She quickly drove away, leaving Stu standing there, continuing to ask her to stay. He stood there, watching her drive away, hating himself for not knowing what to say.

Courtney really needed to leave. She couldn't stay there with him. She was about to cry and did not want him to see her like that. Not to mention that it was mortifying for her to know that he now knew everything about her.

The drive home was pretty much a blur, as she felt like she was on autopilot. And when she drove up to her house, of course, Paul was parked in her driveway, obviously waiting for her. She pulled in next him, feeling annoyed that she now had to deal with him, when she really just wanted to lay down and cry it out. Alone. Without Stu. Without Paul. By herself. Courtney quickly got out of her car and headed towards the front door, speed walking the entire way. Paul got out of his car and was following her.

"Courtney!" he called after her.

"Paul, go away. Please," she said, her voice cracking.

"No. I want to talk to you. I tried calling you a few times, but you didn't pick your phone up," he insisted.

"I didn't have my phone on me. I left it here."

"Oh."

Courtney opened the door and attempted to quickly shut it behind her. But Paul caught the door and pushed it open. She rolled her eyes. "Why can't you leave me alone right now?" she asked him, frustrated and upset.

"We were fine last night when I left. What's the issue now?" he questioned, shutting the door behind the two of them.

"All you need to know is that I told Stu everything. So, you may want to tell Stephanie pretty soon."

"What?! Why the hell did you do that?" Paul demanded, clearly unhappy that she had decided to spill the beans.

"Because he fucking came here last night. I had lied to him and told him that I was sick and didn't want to hang out. I told him that I wanted to be left alone and didn't want him to catch whatever I was coming down with. And he drove over here and brought soup and movies and flowers for me because he wanted to take care of me. He saw us. He thought we were sleeping together. And it was either I tell him or I lose him," she explained.

"Oh? I guess you felt that was a decision you could make for the both of us, Courtney? You're not the only one who this impacts."

"You can seriously say that to me and not feel like a complete piece of shit? I make decisions for myself. Not for the people who turned their backs on me."

"Was it worth it, Court? Where's your Prince-fucking-Charming now?" he sarcastically shot back at her.

The knock on the door couldn't have been timed more perfectly. "That better not be Prince-fucking-Charming," she muttered, as Paul opened the door.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Paul questioned him.

"What are you doing here?" Stu shot back at him.

"Uhhh…I wanna know what the both of you think you're doing here. I just want to be left alone," she told the both of them.

Stu pushed passed Paul and walked up to Courtney. "I don't want to see you upset," he said. Paul shook his head and shut the door.

"You wanted to know the truth, right? Now, you know everything. Isn't that good enough for you?" she asked, not wanting to deal with either of them.

"No. You just up and left."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Why the hell do you think I did that? It's so embarrassing for me to have told you all of that stuff about me. You think I want the man that I care so much about to hear about how I became a nude model and a stripper and an escort and a fucking drug addict?" she asked, raising her voice.

"Uhhh…nude model? Escort?" Paul asked in disbelief. "Drug addict?" He was confused as to what she was talking about.

"Oh give me a break, Paul. You're so ridiculous. If you gave a flying fuck about preventing your daughter from becoming any of those things, you wouldn't have walked your ass right out that door when you found out my mother was pregnant with me. So don't you dare act all high and mighty now," she shot at him, having no patience for him thinking he had any right to get involved in her relationship with Stu…or any other aspect of her life.

"You don't have to be embarrassed about anything, Court. It isn't your fault that any of those things happened to you. And I really don't blame you for not trusting men. I just…I didn't know what to say. That's why I got quiet," Stu told her.

"Yeah? Like you really wanna sleep with me now knowing that I banged a paying client and my professor?" she rhetorically questioned him, the all-too familiar feeling of tears creeping up on her again.

"I really don't need to be hearing this," Paul said, shaking his head. "Wait a second. Your professor?" he questioned.

"They forced you, Courtney. None of that is your fault at all," Stu insisted, ignoring Paul completely. He hated seeing her like this. He never saw her as vulnerable or wounded. He saw her as this bad ass who didn't let anything get to her and could dish back whatever was thrown at her. Now, he saw this side to her. And he felt awful for having practically forced her to tell him her story. It made him feel like a complete ass for doing so.

"Forced you?" Paul piped in, his brow furrowing, his brow, as he felt overwhelmingly nauseated at the implications behind Stu's words. It hurt him to hear what happened to the daughter that he had abandoned.

"It was all my fault. If I wasn't stupid enough to become an escort that asshole would have never had the opportunity to do what he did. And if I wasn't dumb enough to be a stripper, my professor never would have been able to blackmail me. This is all my fault!" she yelled, finally feeling the tears pour out of her eyes.

"Courtney, don't say that. None of what happened is your fault at all," Stu insisted, his voice softening.

"Wait a second here," Paul spoke, walking up to his daughter. "Courtney, what the hell happened to you?" he asked her, his voice becoming shaky as the mere suggestion of what his daughter may have been through.

She shook her head. "Paul…"

"No. Courtney, I know that all of this is my fault. I know that you did what you had to because of me. I know that if I didn't leave you, your life would have been nothing like it was. It would have been completely different. I blame myself for all of that. I've blamed no one but myself since I found out that I had a daughter who was a stripper. But I need to know what else I'm to blame for," he told her.

"No," she replied. "I don't want to talk about this."

"Court…"

"Paul, seriously," she insisted.

"Courtney, talk to me at least," Stu spoke.

"Why the hell would she talk to you? I'm her father," Paul spoke through gritted teeth, not wanting to be outdone by one of his employees.

"Because I'm the one who has been with her all of this time," he replied. "Besides, it isn't exactly like you decided that you wanted to be her father and be a part of her life until she was already damaged."

"Excuse me? Who the hell do you think you are talking to me like this?" Paul demanded, getting fed up with him.

"Both of you just shut the hell up," Courtney interrupted. "I don't really need to witness this dick measuring contest, and I don't want to be a part of this bullshit."

They both turned and looked at her. "Court, I—"

"Oh save it, Stu. Let's call this what it is. You swore up and down that you would never leave me no matter my story was. But let's be honest with each other, you can barely even look at me anymore. And after knowing everything that has gone on in my life, I know that you will never, ever look at me the same way again. And you clearly won't ever think of touching me. After everything that has gone on between us since the day that we met, you know that you want to walk away," Courtney accused him.

Though Stu definitely looked guilty, he really just didn't know what he was supposed to say to her or what he was supposed to do. She was wrong. He didn't want to leave her. But he just needed to wrap his head around what he had learned about her.

Courtney bit her bottom lip, as the tears had continued running down her cheeks. She felt like her life was falling apart all over again.

"And you…what's the goddamned problem, Paul? Don't want your wife to know that you have another daughter? Don't want to ruin your perfect little family with a fucking head case?" she questioned him, harshly, though she believed it was well-deseved. "We both know that the only reason you ever cared to come looking for me is because you found out you had a daughter and didn't want to risk any scandals. And when you found out that I was a stripper, you certainly didn't want anyone to find that out."

"That's not true," he refuted.

"Bullshit. Don't fucking lie to me. Do you know what the relationship repellant in my life has been? The fact that I've posed naked, been a stripper quite a few times, I've been an escort, and I was a drug addict. No one in their right mind would want to be associated with that kind of person," she shot at him. "And that would include my own father. Because if he had any interest in being a parent to me, he would have done anything other than try to keep the fact that I'm his kid a secret. But that's all you've done…tried to keep me a fuckin secret!"

"I only knew that you were a stripper because I came looking for you. I started looking for you before I knew anything about you other than your name. And I did my research. Thank God for Facebook."

"I really wish that I deleted it a lot sooner than I did," she muttered.

Courtney turned to Stu. "I guess that this is the end of…whatever this was," she said with a shrug, trying to act like she didn't care. But she wasn't able to keep up that attitude for more than a few moments, as she closed her eyes, and the tears began falling out of her eyes faster than before. "I told you everything that I have because I trusted you. I believed that you wouldn't leave me alone because you promised me that you wouldn't." She slowly shook her head. "But you're turning your back on me like everyone else has."

"Courtney, it isn't like that."

"Oh just shove it. You know, after everything that I have been through, I just really wanted to feel like I was loved…unconditionally. I thought I was on the road to finally getting that. But…you're just…you're not going to let that happen. Who wants to date someone who got paid to have sex?" she asked.

"You weren't paid for sex. You were paid off to not accuse that son of a bitch for raping you," he replied.

Courtney rolled her eyes. "I put myself in that position. I'm certainly not a victim here," Courtney said. "The problem is that…I just…I wanted a new life. I thought that I could have had that new life with you. And I had really started to let myself go with you. I was getting everything that I had wanted so badly for so long. I wasn't taking my clothes off because I had to. I wasn't having sex because I was getting paid to or because I was being blackmailed to. I could just be myself with you…for what felt like the first time ever. I felt like all of that hurt that has been inside of me for so long…all of that pain…it didn't matter anymore. It was like I finally had a do-over. I had a new life…a house…a car…a job that didn't require me to be naked or put out." Courtney paused. "And I fell in love with you. I never thought that I would love anyone the way that I had fallen in love with you. But after that second time that you took me out to dinner…that's when I knew that I was in love with you. But…I was wrong to let you in. And I was sure as hell wrong to love you."

Stu stood there in shock. Courtney loved him? He couldn't believe it. She stood there and told him that she was in love with him.

"You love him?" Paul asked, clearly stunned by her admission.

"I…I do," she replied. "But I really need the both of you to leave now."

"No. I'm not going anywhere," Paul insisted. "You're my daughter. And you're upset right now."

"If you don't tell Stephanie today, I will call her first thing in the morning. I suggest that you get to it now," she warned him. Courtney sat down on the couch, her face in her hands, as she cried harder than she could ever remember crying.


	27. Chapter 27

Dominos

Chapter 27

Disclaimer: This is all fiction. I own Courtney only.

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**A/N: I'm so lucky to have the best readers ever! A massive thank you to all of my reviewers for the last chapter: Christiebett95, Sonib89, maketimetotime, Chi1078, DenyingTheTruth, and OhYeahCabana (I'm glad I got you reading a Wade story...seeing as that's mostly what I write lol). You guys seriously make me so happy. I will warn you, the updates will be a little less frequent, as I'm posting faster than I've been writing...and I'm also distracted with my OOC sequel...and a new Dean Ambrose story I started...clearly I don't know how to finish one before starting another lol. Anyways, I'm glad you're all enjoying the drama with Courtney, Wade, and Paul. Perhaps we'll throw Stephanie into the mix soon ;) Enjoy! Love you guys! XoXoXo**

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Neither Paul nor Stu left Courtney, as she had requested. Paul didn't want to leave her there still so upset. Stu couldn't do much because he was still in shock at her admitting that she was in love with him.

"Why are you still here? Aren't you supposed to be walking out the door and turning your back on my daughter?" Paul questioned.

"Oh fuck off. I haven't learned my life lessons from you," Stu spat in response, finally walking over to her, sitting next to her on the couch, and wrapping his arm around her, pulling her body to his. Stu pulled a still-crying Courtney onto his lap and held her while she continued to cry. "I'm not going anywhere, Court," he told her, his voice low.

She looked up at him. "Oh really?"

"Yes, really. You know how I feel about you. I'm not going to turn my back on you simply because you were dealt a terrible hand. I'm here for you…because of how much I adore you and want to be with you," he spoke.

"You still want to be with me, even knowing everything that has happened?" she asked him, skeptically.

"Absolutely. I swore to you that I'd never leave…no matter what, and I intend to stick to my word," he assured her.

"Why? Because you said that you would? Is that why you're sticking around?" Courtney questioned him.

"No. I'm sticking around because ever since the first time that you put me in my place, I have been absolutely crazy about you. And nothing in your past can or will change that. I only want you, Courtney."

Paul watched the scene before him. The last thing that he wanted for his daughter was for her to end up with a wrestler. But clearly, Stu felt very strongly for her. And more than not wanting her to be with a wrestler and living that life, Paul wanted her to be with someone who felt that way for her. He wanted his daughter to be happy.

Besides, Paul barely knew Courtney. She had avoided him as much as she possibly could. When he found out that his daughter was a stripper, he wanted to make it right. He wanted to give her the life that she deserved…the life she should have had to begin with.

That's why he got Shawn and flew to New York with him. Paul knew that there was a very good chance that Courtney wouldn't be so happy to see him…if she knew he was her father. He sent Shawn into her place of business. He didn't want to run the risk of seeing his daughter in the process of taking her clothes off. He was afraid he might punch any guy that was looking at her. And if anyone was making any inappropriate comments, Paul was positive that he would have beaten the guy to a bloody pulp. The last thing he needed was to end up in jail, when he was trying to give his daughter a better life.

"Paul, you really need to tell Stephanie," Courtney spoke, sobbing between each word she spoke.

He looked at Stu. "Are you going to stay here and take care of her?" he questioned him, not wanting to leave if Stu wasn't going to be there.

"I'm not going anywhere else," he assured him.

Paul nodded. "Okay…call me if you need anything. I'll go talk to Stephanie." And with that, he left.

Stu continued holding Courtney, allowing her to cry into his shoulder. He had one arm around her back and one resting on her leg, his thumb gently stroking her bare thigh, as she had been wearing a pair of denim shorts.

"Sweetheart, you're going to make yourself sick, if you keep crying like this," he spoke, softly, not wanting to upset her.

"I'm sorry, Stu," she spoke through the tears.

"You don't have anything to apologize for, love," he told her.

"I told you that I wasn't any good for you. I told you so many times," she said, continuing to speak as she cried.

"And I told you that none of that mattered to me because I'm not going to leave you," he insisted. "And like I told you would be, I'm still here with you. I've still got you in my arms, and I'm not leaving you, Courtney."

Stu gently rubbed her leg, trying to soothe her and help calm her down, though she continued to cry. He hated seeing her like this. Stu believed that if he could live the rest of his life without having to see her cry again, he would be a really happy man.

"Sweetheart, please just calm down," he said. "It kills me to see you crying like this. I never want to see you cry."

Courtney looked at him. "I can't stop," she told him.

Stu took her face in his hands, using his thumb to wipe some of her tears away. "It's okay, love. I've got you. I'm not going to let anything or anyone hurt you. I just need you to breathe and relax," he said, speaking as calmly and softly as he could.

Courtney tried to calm herself down, though the sniffles didn't seem like they'd be going anywhere anytime soon. She rested her head on his chest. "Stu, I've made so many mistakes, and I'm so sorry that I lied to you. I never should have lied."

"Sweetheart, just calm down. You don't owe me any apologies. I get it. I'm not mad at you at all," he assured her.

"You must hate me."

Stu adamantly shook his head. "Not in the least. I'm glad that I know the truth now. I'm just so sorry for what you've had to go through. I feel so awful that you've been keeping all of this inside. I'd imagine it had been very difficult."

"It's just so embarrassing to tell the guys that I feel this way for that I've done all of those things," she explained, no longer sobbing, though she was still sniffling with tears still making their way down her cheeks.

"You were dealt a really shitty hand, love. You don't have to be embarrassed about anything. I don't think any less of you for anything you've had to do. In fact, to be completely honest, I think a lot more of you, considering the fact that you have been through so many terrible things, but here you are, doing really well. You're such a strong person, Courtney. You're incredibly smart…and beautiful and fun and mature and sexy and responsible…and even though you definitely gave me quite an attitude, at first, which was very much well-deserved, you're so sweet. You have so much going for you and knowing what you've been through…I'm just…I'm even more impressed with you and more interested in you. It's just a real testament to how wonderful you are."

"You really believe all of that?"

"I absolutely believe all of that," he replied. "For you to be so wonderful and to have endured so much…it's like…like a miracle. I would imagine that you'd be a complete mess, but you're not…at all. You're just…amazing."

"I am a mess," Courtney refuted.

"You're the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my entire life," Stu told her, meaning the words that he spoke.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Lies."

He shook his head. "Not at all, sweetheart." Stu pressed his forehead to hers. "You're absolutely amazing," he insisted, his voice a whisper.

"I'm just some head case with way too much baggage for any man to want to deal with," she spoke, wanting to give him an out, so that he didn't feel terrible for leaving her. She wouldn't have blamed him for leaving.

"Well, I'm here to help you carry that baggage," he told her. "I just want to be able to help you."

"Why?"

"Because…that's what you do when you love someone who is hurting," he replied, looking into her eyes.

"You love me?" she asked, skeptical.

"Oh please. Like you didn't know that," he shot back with a smirk. "It wasn't like I didn't make it obvious."

"I know that you liked me…"

"I've loved for you longer than I ever liked you. And I immediately liked you," Stu told her. "And…you love me, too."

Courtney looked down. "I…uh…um…"

Stu pulled her onto his lap so she was facing him, straddling his lap. He pushed her hair out of her face. "You know, it'll be okay. You can say it, and it'll be okay," he softly spoke. "I'm not going to let you down like everyone else has. I promise you that. I'm going to make you happy and take care of you…no matter what."

"But…Stu…I'm not the kind of girl that you need. I'm really messed up. I have a lot of problems," she spoke the obvious.

"And now you have someone that you can share that burden with. You have someone who will be there for you to talk to or cry to…or just have hold you and tell you that everything will be okay…whatever you need."

Courtney pressed her forehead to his. "Why? Why is it that when you can have anyone…you pick the crazy girl who has all of the problems? The girl who has gotten paid to take her clothes off more than any other job she's ever had in her life?"

"Because I know who that person inside of you is. Regardless if you're completely naked or covered from head to toe, I know who is in there," he answered her question, pressing his palm to her heart.

Stu leaned in and kissed her gently on her lips. She wrapped her arms around him, feeling that while she still had a lot of hesitations and still felt embarrassed, she felt there was the possibility that everything might actually end up okay. Things could work out for her, for once in her life. And while that prospect scared her, seeing as it was completely foreign to her, it made her happy to know that she could still have that life that she wanted.

The doorbell rang, causing the two to pull apart from their kiss. "Who the hell is that?" she rhetorically asked.

"Would you like me to get that?" Stu offered.

"Could you, please, Stu?" she asked him, wiping her tear stained face with her hands, as she'd finally stopped the steady stream that had been coming out of her eyes for longer than she cared to admit.

"Of course." Courtney climbed off of his lap. Stu got up from the couch and walked over to the front door. He opened it and was completely surprised to see Stephanie standing there. "Oh…Stephanie…hello," he greeted.

"Stu…I wasn't expecting to see you here. Is Courtney also here?" she questioned him, putting a pleasant smile on her face.

"Um…she is," he said, turning to look at Courtney for permission to let her stepmother into the house…though Stephanie had no idea that that was the case. She nodded from the couch. Stu moved over, in order to let her in. She entered, and Stu shut the door behind her. Courtney quickly became anxious.

Stephanie walked over to her. "Hi Courtney. Listen, I'm really sorry to just show up like this, out of nowhere, but I really need to talk to you…"

"Paul was going to talk to you. He actually left here a few minutes ago," Courtney explained. Stu sat back down next to her. "I'll give him a call and have him come back here," she said, taking her phone off of the coffee table.

Courtney called Paul's cell phone and put the phone to her ear. "Hey Courtney, what's going on? Are you alright?" he greeted, seeming slightly concerned.

"Yeah. Paul, I need you to come back to the house. Stephanie's here."

"What?! What did you tell her?"

"Nothing. She literally just came in a minute ago."

"Okay. Thanks. Don't tell her, please. I'll be there as fast as I can," he said, before disconnecting their call.

"Paul's going to be back here in a few minutes," she told Stephanie who was sitting in the loveseat.

"Oh…what was he doing here, in the first place?" she asked.

"Talking…"

"About what?"

"It's better if you just wait for him to get her," Courtney insisted.

Stu wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pressed an affectionate kiss to the side of her forehead. "So, are you two dating each other or something?" Stephanie asked, trying to make small talk with the two.

The pair looked at each other, unsure of how to answer her question. "To be honest with you, I don't actually know," Courtney replied. "I guess…unofficially…"

"You two have a lot of chemistry…on-screen…and off…"

The brunette smiled at her boss and stepmother. "Thank you. I guess…it just comes naturally to us."

"I can see that. The way that he looks at you…that's pretty serious."

"What can I say? I love her," Stu spoke up.

"You love her? You've known her for maybe a month and a half, at most," Stephanie replied, a little surprised.

He nodded. "Yup. But I fell in love with her almost immediately."

Vince McMahon's only daughter smiled at the pair. "Well, then, good. I'm glad for you two. Courtney, I hate to be nosy, but...have you been crying?"

"Oh…umm…yeah. I guess it's that obvious," Courtney replied.

"Are you alright?"

Courtney took a deep breath. "I'll be okay," she said. "But…I guess we'll get more into that when Paul gets back here."

"Oh…I guess if you were sleeping with him, Stu wouldn't seem nearly as happy as he is and sitting next to you."

Stu nodded. "Stephanie, to tell you the truth, I thought like you did about Paul and Courtney, but I was very much wrong about that. You don't have to worry. Paul isn't cheating on you," Stu assured her.

"I'd love to know why I'm so nervous, then."

"You'll know soon enough," Courtney assured her.

Stephanie nodded. "Alright."

The three made small talk in the living room, but they all quickly fell silent once the front door opened.


	28. Chapter 28

Dominos

Chapter 28

Disclaimer: This is fictional. I own Courtney. That's pretty much it.

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**A/N: Thank you for the reviews: Chi1078, prettycrazytriplehfan, Sonib89, maketimetotime, Claire Moxley, and last but certainly not least, DenyingTheTruth. You guys are awesome. I apologize for the delay in the update. I've been working on this, a new Dean Ambrose story that wouldn't leave me head until I started writing it, and the OOC sequel, which is coming along nicely and may be posted today...or sometime soon. Anyways, I really appreciate the love I get from you guys. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and hopefully, it won't be too long until the next one :) Love you guys! XoXoXo**

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"Stephanie…what are you doing here?" Paul asked, stepping into the house and shutting the door behind himself.

"I…I know you're hiding something from me, and I know that Courtney has something to do with it," she replied, her husband taking a seat next to his wife on the loveseat. She found herself to be more nervous than she thought she would be confronting this.

"Why didn't you just ask me about it?" he questioned her.

"Because I knew that you'd play it off like it was nothing."

"I wouldn't have done that. I would have told you what you wanted to know."

"You're so full of shit," Courtney mumbled.

Paul gave her a look. "Excuse me?"

"You wouldn't have said a word," she said, her voice louder.

"I would have," he insisted.

"Really, Paul?" Courtney firmly spoke, her voice warning him. "Seriously, just…start being honest with Stephanie, please. Don't make me do it for you. Because I will, and I won't feel bad when it pisses you off."

"Alright," he relented, knowing that she meant exactly what she said. Stephanie deserved to hear this from her husband's mouth anyway. "Stephanie, I love you so much. We've been married for ten years already, and I'm so happy that I'm going to spend the rest of my life with you. You are my entire world, and I have loved you for so long and only love you more each day." He paused for a moment. "But there's something I've been keeping from you for a long time. When I was seventeen, I started dating a woman named Beth. I was in love with her. And when I was going to leave New Hampshire to make it as a wrestler, I asked her to come with me. At that point, I was nineteen, and she was eighteen. She told me…" He took a deep breath. "She told me that she was pregnant. And I told her…" Paul paused again, looking at Courtney regretfully. "I told her not to have the baby. So, she broke up with me. And I left and never spoke to her after that. I found out a year ago that Beth died. My family knew her, and I had asked if they'd spoken to her at all. That's when my sister told me she had died years before. I also found out that she had a daughter."

Stephanie's mouth fell open upon the realization of what was going on, and she looked at Courtney whose eyes were once again brimming with tears. "Oh my God. You're his daughter, aren't you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Courtney nodded. "I'm sorry."

She turned to her husband. "That's why you started acting weird. You were looking for her. How did you find her?"

"Well, my sister had told me her name was Courtney. I used Facebook to find out that she was living in New York. But Courtney deleted her profile pretty soon after that. So, I had to use the little information I had to track her down. I found out where she worked. I got Shawn, we flew to New York, and he got her out of…the place where she was working. And she's pretty much been telling me to go fuck myself ever since. So…I bought her this house. I gave her a job. She moved here…and…that's pretty much that."

"You should have told me, Paul," Stephanie told him, though no one could tell if she was angry or upset or okay with the revelation. It was probably a combination of some sort.

"I know…I was just…I didn't know…"

"So…what's the story with you, then?" Stephanie asked Courtney.

"Trust me, you really don't want to know that."

"Well, you're not just an employee anymore. You're my stepdaughter. So, I do want to know," she replied.

Courtney took a deep breath, knowing that Stephanie did deserve to know the truth. She just didn't feel like talking about it again. Her entire day thus far had been her rehashing the past she had tried to hide for so long. "My mom died when I was seventeen. By eighteen, I had modelled nude and become a stripper to help me pay the bills. I moved to California, became an escort who refused to sleep with her clients. Then, I kind of…uh…didn't have a choice with a particular client, so I quit. I went back to stripping. I was putting myself through college. One of my professors caught me at work. He gave me the option of failing his class and being outed as a stripper to everyone. I wasn't exactly proud, so I chose the other option, which meant I'd get an 'A'…but I had to sleep with him. After the semester, I dropped out of college and moved to Vegas. I stripped there and developed a lovely drug habit. I ruined two years of my life, before a close friend of mine overdosed and died, and I moved myself to New York and went to rehab. After that, I went back to stripping, since at that point, it was all I knew how to do. And one day, Shawn Michaels walked in and pulled me out. I haven't had to do any of that since…so…that's the story, I guess."

Stephanie just stared at Courtney for a few moments, in disbelief. "Is all of that true?" she asked, unable to believe that her stepdaughter had such a difficult life.

"It's the abridged version, but, I mean…it's the truth," Courtney replied, avoiding Stephanie's eyes.

"Courtney, I'm so sorry…" she spoke, unsure of what to say in this situation.

"I made some really bad decisions," she said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Yeah, bad decisions you wouldn't have had to make if I hadn't left you," Paul said. He was feeling a lot of guilt for everything that she had been through. Hearing the whole story, most of which he didn't know until now, hurt him. All he had known was that she was a stripper. He had heard some bits and pieces when she was talking to Stu, but now, he knew everything.

"Listen, Paul, you did what you had to do at the time," she said with a shrug. "Sometimes we do things, and when we look back, maybe we made the wrong decision. Trust me, that's been most of my life."

"No. I was being selfish," he replied.

"Sometimes, I would blame you, but I did what I thought was best at the time for me. And I made some really shitty decisions. That's my own fault. Not yours," she said, with a shrug. At this point, she didn't want Paul blaming himself for what she went through. Courtney was passed that. She didn't want to place blame or dwell on it.

"I'm sorry for accusing you of sleeping with him," Stephanie apologized. She felt like an idiot for thinking that, especially knowing the truth. "I just…I didn't know." She sent a glare in her husband's direction. Not to mention, her husband had a daughter that she didn't know about, which was disconcerting on its own.

"Stephanie, I hope you know that I'm not here to ruin your family or extort Paul or anything crazy like that. Quite frankly, I didn't want him to find me. I've known that he was my father for a really long time. I never said anything because…honestly, I didn't want anything to do with him," Courtney admitted. "I just…I wanted to pretend that I didn't have any family left because…I mean…if your father left you, would you really want to admit that to anyone?"

"I understand. I don't blame you. And I didn't think that you were trying to do anything to hurt anyone by being here."

Stu felt badly that the woman he loved was sitting here, dealing with all of this stuff from her past. He wanted to take all of her pain away and make her feel like she was loved and taken care of…like she would never be hurt again. He just wanted to protect her.

"I'm really sorry. I know that it doesn't mean anything, but I really am sorry for what I did," Paul said, his eyes focused on his daughter. He looked so sad and so guilty. He hated himself for having not been a part of Courtney's life for the last twenty-five years. He despised himself for what his eldest daughter went through because he wasn't around. He blamed himself completely for having not done anything to help her while she was in these awful situations and being violated by these disgusting men that he should have been protecting her from.

"Paul, it's okay," Courtney told him.

"No! No, it's not okay!" he exploded, standing up from the couch. He put his hands on his hips and faced away from the three other people in the room.

"Paul…" Stephanie spoke.

He shook his head but didn't speak.

Courtney stood up and walked over to him. She placed a hand on his arm. "Paul, it's really alright. I'm okay," she said, her voice soft. He still wouldn't speak. She moved in front of him. Then, she understood why Paul wasn't speaking. Paul's eyes were red, and he was clearly trying as hard as he possibly could to not cry. But once he looked at her, he lost it.

Paul pulled Courtney into his arms and held her tightly. He began crying. "I should have protected you. It was my job, and I didn't do it," he spoke. Courtney froze. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't believe this was the tall, muscled man, the WWE Superstar known to the world as the Game…the Cerebral Assassin. And he was sobbing.

"Paul, it's—"

"No. This is my fault, Courtney. And I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I…I…I thought about you. I wondered if you were a boy or a girl…if you were okay…what you looked like. And…and when I found out that you were a girl and were named Courtney, I wanted to find you. When I found your Facebook page…I just…I knew…I knew that it was you. You're the spitting image of your mother," he explained. "And when…when I found out…where you worked…I knew that I'd fucked up so badly. I hate myself. You did those things to be able to pay your bills. I could have paid them…like a father is supposed to. The moment I saw you, I knew that I could never let you work at one of those places ever again. I had to take care of you."

"Paul…calm down. It's really okay," she spoke, wrapping her arms around him.

"It isn't okay," he insisted. "It really isn't."

"But look at me. I'm here. I'm alright. I made the best of the situation. And you're here now. You're trying to make it right. So, don't get all upset like this. It's fine. It is perfectly fine. I just don't want to be so upset."

"I'll do anything I can to help you. I'll do anything for you. I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you for so long, but I want to…I dunno. I want to do right by you now. I'll never be able to make up for what you went through. But I swear to God, I'll never abandon you again."

"I know."

Paul kissed the top of Courtney's head. "You have no idea how much I love you. I know you probably don't believe me. And I'm an asshole and wasn't around for you. But you're my daughter. I love you. I'll never let anything happen to you ever again."

Courtney actually felt badly for Paul. She could feel his sincerity in each word he spoke. And while she knew that he had turned his back on her before, she really believed that he would never do that to her again.

Stephanie felt a multitude of emotions. She felt awful for what Courtney had been through. And even just on a human level, not considering the fact that this was her husband's daughter. She felt awful for accusing her of sleeping with Paul weeks ago. She wanted to fix her part in this situation. She wanted to be a good stepmother to Courtney. No one should have to deal with what this poor girl went through.

Stephanie was also really upset with Paul. She wished that he had been honest with her from the beginning, instead of hiding this. She was upset with him for having turned his back on his unborn daughter. She was upset that he had waited twenty-four years to finally start looking for her. Stephanie wanted to ream her husband out. But at the same time, she felt for him a bit. He was clearly was upset about what he had done. He had obviously been torturing himself over all of this. And she knew that for the last year, he had been acting a little differently. He had seemed off. As if he was stressed out about something. Clearly, Paul had beaten himself up plenty, and she was confident that he would continue to do so.

Paul and Courtney pulled apart. She gave him a genuine smile. "We'll work this out over time," she assured him. He nodded.

"You're so beautiful, Courtney. You're perfect. And I'm going to be the father to you that I should have been for all of these years. I want to be a part of your life," he said fawning over her, wishing that he had never left her.

Courtney nodded, her eyes filling with tears again. She hated being so emotional. But…at least, she felt, this was a good reason to be. "Like I said, we'll figure this out, Paul. Just sit down and relax, calm down."

He acquiesced and sat back down next to Stephanie, who wrapped an arm around her husband's shoulders. Courtney sat back down next to Stu. He gave her a smile and snaked his arm around her waist. He kissed the side of her head affectionately. She leaned her body against his. "You okay?" he asked.

Courtney nodded. "I am."

"I'm sorry for being a dick to you before," Paul apologized looking at Stu. "I guess I'm overcompensating for not being there for Courtney before. But obviously, you've been taking care of her. And I need to be appreciative of that."

"It's fine. Don't worry. I'm sorry. I wasn't very respectful of you earlier. I was getting defensive of Court, and you're her father."

Paul shook his head. "It wasn't like I did a very good job of taking care of her. I do appreciate that you've been there for her."

"Paul, I may be an arrogant bastard most of the time, but I do love Courtney very much. And we've had a really interesting history, but I want to be able to take care of her and treat her right," he assured him.

"I can see that," Paul said. "Thank you."

"In fact, I hope that you'll consider eventually allowing me to date Courtney," he said, giving a nod to Paul.

Courtney raised an eyebrow at Stu. "Haven't we been dating all of this time?" she questioned him.

"Yeah…but I mean…officially. You know…like being…your boyfriend," Stu spoke, feeling a little nervous.

"And you're asking my father for permission? Are you gonna give him a goat and two chickens, too?" she asked, furrowing her brow.

"What?! No! Don't be ridiculous. I'm just trying to be respectful and start this out properly. Not purchase you," Stu refuted. "Besides, I'd have to throw in at least two dairy cows. You're more valuable than just a goat and two chickens."

Courtney couldn't keep her straight face and longer and let out a laugh. "Sometimes, you're just too much."

He smiled. "Listen, if I can make you smile or laugh, I believe that I'm successful."

Paul felt a lot better watching Courtney and Stu interact. He clearly cared about her very much, and she cared about him. If he made her happy, Paul certainly didn't want to interfere in that. He wanted her to be with someone who made her happy, like Stu clearly did. And while he was still mentally being protective of her, he was happy that she was happy.

"Stu, I would be more than happy to allow you to date her…but it's really her permission that you're gonna need…not that I think you would have much of a problem getting that," he said. "I just want her to be happy."

Stu smiled. "I just want to make her happy."

Stephanie smiled at the two. "I hope one day soon that you'll want to meet your sisters. There's three of them," she told Courtney.

"You would be okay with that?" she asked.

"I'd be more than okay with that. I hope you'd want to," she said. "Besides, they'll be really happy when I tell them that they have a big sister."

Courtney smiled. "I would really like that."

"Good because I would, too," Stephanie told her.


	29. Chapter 29

Dominos

Chapter 29

Disclaimer: I own Courtney. And none of this actually happened, it's all made up by me.

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**A/N: Hello loves! I appreciate the reviews from Emmettluver2010, maketimetotime, Sonib89, Chi1078, DenyingTheTruth, and my anonymous reviewer. I apologize for the delay in the update. I've come across a little writer's block, but I promise I'm pushing through. I'm also spending a decent amount of time working on my new obsession...my Dean Ambrose story Wasted. Anyways, I promise I'm not giving up on this one...I'm still gonna be working on it...it may just take a little time between updates...at least until I get through the writer's block lol I love you guys! XoXoXo**

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"So, how are you feeling, sweetheart?" Stu asked, as he and Courtney sat on the couch, finally alone, as Paul and Stephanie had finally left the house.

She smiled at him. "I feel relieved. I'm happy that I don't have anything to hide from you anymore. I'm just a little…or a lot…afraid that you're not gonna want this once everything that I told you finally sinks in."

Stu pulled her onto his lap, his arms around her body. "Court, I absolutely adore you. You're my entire world. And I haven't known you for very long, but I want to be with you...more than anything else. I have no doubts about it. Knowing your past doesn't change anything for me. I said that I love you, and I promise that I meant it. I want you to be all mine," he told her.

Courtney smiled. "Are you sure about that?" she asked. "I've got a lot of excuses for you to leave. I would never blame you for it," she told him.

"I'm still not going anywhere. You can give me a list of excuses to leave, but I'm serious. I'm not going anywhere. I promise you that," he told her. "I'm here. I'm staying."

"Okay." Stu pressed a kiss to her cheek. Courtney turned and straddled him.

"So, I hope you know that I also meant what I said. I love you, Stu. Very much so. You're special to me. I want you. I don't want to share you either. I just want you all to myself," she told him, her eyes locked on his.

Stu involuntarily smiled. He was all too happy to hear what she had to say. He had been crazy about her. He was in love with her. And she admitted that it was mutual. "Really?" he asked her, wanting confirmation that his ears were not deceiving him.

Courtney nodded. "Really."

"That makes me very happy."

"I know it does. And I'm sorry that I made it so difficult. But I do love you, Stu. You're the first person who has ever made me feel this way. You were there for me, even when I pushed you away. I feel safe with you."

"You should. I'll always protect you and take care of you. No matter what," Stu insisted.

"I hope so."

"I'll show you." He pulled her in for a kiss. "I hope you'll continue to let me take you out and spend time with you," he told her. "Because I really enjoy that."

"I love spending time with you. It's all I ever want to do."

"Maybe one of these days you'll allow me to call you my girlfriend."

Courtney raised an eyebrow at those words. "Oh really? Is that really what you want?" she asked, smirking.

He nodded. "Very much so."

"Well, maybe, you'll get what you want. I mean, you're pretty good looking. I doubt I could say no to you," Courtney said with a teasing grin.

"Oh really?"

She bit her lip playfully and nodded.

Stu smirked. He pushed her hair behind her ear. "I hope you know that I really will do whatever I can to help you. Anything."

"I know you will. I just don't want you to feel like you're stuck with me because I have a bunch of issues. If you want to leave, you can," she assured him.

"I know I can. But I don't want to. I want you…baggage and all. I promise you…I'm really not going anywhere."

"You're a good guy, Stu. I want you. No one else."

"Well, for you, I really do try. I just want to make you happy. That's really all I want to do," he told her.

"You're doing an amazing job. You make me really happy."

He leaned in and kissed her. "Good. I hope you know that that's not going to be changing while I'm around. And I plan on being around for a long time."

"I like the sound of that, handsome," Courtney said, pressing her forehead against his.

* * *

"How could you not tell me you had a daughter?!" Stephanie asked Paul, understandably very upset with her husband, once they had returned to their condo. They lived in Connecticut full time, but with a good amount of their business being located in Florida, they felt it would be necessary to have a residence there, too. Their three daughters were back home, being watched by their grandmother, Linda McMahon.

"I was afraid of how you'd react. I'm sorry. Besides, Courtney can barely stand me anyway," he told her.

"You still should have told me. I'm your wife. This affects me, too," she insisted. "She might not be my child, but she's my stepdaughter."

"I know. You're right. I should've told you."

"I accused that poor girl of sleeping with her father. How sick is that? Not to mention, she's been through fucking hell. Only to have me up her ass trying to figure out what she was doing here. You make me look like an asshole, Paul," she scolded him. "And more important than looking like one, you made me feel like I'm one."

"I know. I'm sorry, Steph," he continued apologizing.

"No. We're supposed to be a team. You've lied to me. You've hidden things from me…really important things. And let's not even start with what happened to your daughter, who you chose to walk out on. You're not the person that I thought you were. Ten years. We've been married for ten goddamn years. And it turns out you'll lie to me about major things? You went behind my back to find this girl. I would have helped you. You think I would have a problem with having a stepdaughter? I don't. Not at all. In fact, I would love to be a part of her life. But I do have a huge problem with what you did."

"I know. I don't blame you for being mad at me. I fucked up, Steph. And I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for lying to you. I'm sorry for what I did to Courtney. I don't know what else I can say. Nothing will change the situation."

Stephanie shook her head. "No, it won't. And right now, I just need some time to cool off and think," she said, before walking off into their bedroom and slamming the door behind herself.

Paul sat on the couch, hunched over with his head in his hands. He knew that he had really messed things up with his wife. He should have been honest with her, but it was a sensitive situation. He had only told Shawn about it…and that was only because he needed Shawn's help. He was well aware that his wife should have been on that shortlist. Not to mention, what his daughter had been through still hadn't completely sunk in yet. That made him feel even worse. If it wasn't for what he did, she would have never had to go through any of that. The fact that he failed her in such a big way completely broke his heart.

There was a lot of making up that he had to do. To his wife. To his daughter. He was glad that for the first time, Courtney gave him some hope that things might get better between them. Paul really wanted to have a relationship with his daughter. He knew that he had messed up pretty badly, but he wanted to do whatever he could to try to make it as right as he could. He would do anything to take care of her now.

Stephanie sat on her bed and cried into her hands. After all of that time together, the fact that Paul could so easily lie to her about something so important…it broke her heart. Then, hearing Courtney's story…that just made her disgusted with Paul. She couldn't believe that he would turn his back on his child so easily. And the poor girl went through so much that no one should ever have to experience. But his actions caused her to have very few options at such a young age. The thought of having a stepdaughter that had to be a stripper, among other things, and was…mistreated so terribly…it made her sick to her stomach. And as harsh as it may seem, she completely blamed Paul for everything she had been through. If he had at least been a part of Courtney's life, like he should have been in the first place, none of that would have happened.

She didn't know what to do. She was furious with her husband. It wasn't like she was going to leave him, but right now, she just wanted some time away from him to think about things and figure out how she was going to proceed. Because right now, she was sure that if she didn't get away from him, she might actually slap him.


	30. Chapter 30

Dominos

Chapter 30

Disclaimer: This is all fictional. I own Courtney.

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**A/N: I apologize for the long wait. For those of you that read Wasted, you know the situation where I was rendered unable to write or anything for almost a week because of an unfortunate encounter between the mandolin and my finger. Just trying to eat healthy is apparently dangerous, as I was slicing a cucumber a week and a half ago, and I may have sliced my finger, which wasn't fun. It hurt. I bled. I was taken to the doctor. And truth be told, it's healing, it's just difficult to write and type because I'm down a finger for the time being, while it's healing. It sounds more gruesome than it is. It was just the tip of the finger that was sliced. It doesn't even look gross. But anyways, enough of that rambling, a huge thank you for my reviews to: Sonib89, nattiebroskette, prettycrazytriplehfan, Emmettluver2010, Chi1078, maketimetotime (I'm slowly getting passed the writer's block. I appreciate your suggestion...it actually sparked an idea in my head. So...seriously...thank you so much!), and DenyingTheTruth (I'm working on it! I promise!). You guys are seriously the best, and I really appreciate you sticking with me during this lack of updates. But I'm planning on trying to update more frequently. I just hand write everything out and right now, that's a little difficult. If only I'd cut my left ring finger and not the right one. So uncomfortable. Anyways, thanks to maketimetotime, I'm no longer at a loss as to what's gonna happen. So, thank you bunches! Umm...other than that, some shameless plugging can't hurt...any Dean Ambrose fans who haven't checked out Wasted, please do. That one has been interrupting my thoughts so often that it distracts me from writing my other stories. And uhh I finally have Instagram again (long story...had it...boyfriend got caught being a shady shit on it, so we didn't have it. But I'm back again lol (jamieburro). And other than that, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I promise, the next one is already halfway written. I love you guys lots and lots! XoXoXo**

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Things between Stephanie and Paul were definitely tense. He knew that he was wrong for keeping such a big secret from his wife. But know that he was wrong for doing it and a multitude of apologies didn't really change anything. Stephanie needed some time to wrap her head around the entire situation. In fact, she felt terrible for interrogating the poor girl and accusing her of sleeping with Paul. Her major issue with the current situation was being kept in the dark by her husband, resulting in her acting foolish because she didn't know. Truth be told, Stephanie didn't have any problem with having a stepdaughter.

In fact, Stephanie was more than happy to have Courtney as a part of her family. It wasn't like she had a problem with the girl. Even professionally, she didn't have one negative thing to say about the valet. And though she knew that they were all going back on the road the next morning, Stephanie was heading over to her stepdaughter's house, in order to try and put some effort into building that relationship.

She was really nervous. She had hoped that Courtney hadn't thought about things and changed her mind about having a relationship with Stephanie. She knew that it was a real possibility, but Courtney clearly needed some support in the form of family. And Stephanie really wanted to be the one to give her that support.

She parked in front of her husband's daughter's house and was shakily making her way up the pathway to the front door. When Stephanie finally arrived at the door, she stared at it for a few minutes, taking a couple of deep breaths, to help calm her nerves. She finally reached to the doorbell and pushed the button, alerting the occupants of the house that someone was there. Within moments, the door opened. Stu stood before her.

"Hey Steph," he greeted her with a smile.

"Stu…hi. Is Courtney here, by any chance?" she asked, forcing a smile and trying her hardest to not seem nervous.

"Of course. Come on in," he invited her.

"Thanks." Stephanie walked inside. Stu shut the door behind her. Courtney walked into the living room.

"Oh. Stephanie. Hi," she said, giving her a smile.

"Hi," she reciprocated the greeting to her stepdaughter.

"I'm gonna run to my house, Court. I'll come back a little later, okay?" Stu spoke, wanting to give the two some time alone to talk about things.

"Okay," she agreed. Stu pulled her in for a short kiss, before giving Stephanie a small wave. He grabbed his keys off of the key ring holder next to the door. With that, Stu left her house, shutting the door behind himself. "Sit down," Courtney invited, still smiling.

Stephanie gave her a polite smile, trying to not let her nervousness show. "Thank you," she said, sitting on the couch. Courtney sat down, as well.

"So, how are you doing? I know yesterday was a little crazy and all," Courtney questioned her stepmother.

She took a deep breath before speaking. "I'm okay. I'm actually really upset with Paul," she admitted.

Courtney nodded. "I can understand that."

"I just…I want you to know that I really do want to have a relationship with you," Stephanie told her. "I know that you might not want to have one with me, and if that's the case, I can understand and respect that. But I just want you to know how I feel about the situation."

The younger brunette smiled. "Stephanie, I would really like to be a part of your family," she replied. "I don't want you to think that I just came here because I wanted to get involved in your life for any other reason than Paul being my father. I'm not some money-grubbing psychopath. I'm not here for fame or attention. I just…I had nothing. And even though I've been pretty hesitant about having a relationship with Paul, he is still my father. And after meeting him and getting to know him a little bit, I think I should have him in my life. I'd rather have some family than none at all, at this point, you know? I've given him a hard time, but he really is all I have left."

Stephanie nodded, understanding her thought process. "I don't blame you for making him work for it, after everything that you've been through. And knowing the things that have happened in your life, you should have some family to be able to lean on. I know that I didn't treat you fairly. I also owe you an apology for that…"

"You really don't. You had no idea about what was going on. I don't blame you for acting the way that you did. You thought your husband was having an affair with me. That'd seem more probable than the fact that he had a secret daughter. You had no way of knowing the truth. You saw the situation and logically came up with a reasonable conclusion. If I were you, I probably would have thought the same thing."

"But I did just that. I jumped to conclusions. And for someone who had to go through all of that awful stuff…the last thing that you need is to be accused of sleeping with your father. That's just really messed up. And I really am very sorry for that."

"Steph, trust me, even when you said it, I wasn't upset with you. I was upset with Paul for not telling you because I know the position that he put you in, and I repeatedly told him to tell you," Courtney explained. "But I was never mad at you for it. I could understand how it looked. Seriously, it's water under the bridge already."

"I guess Paul won't be winning any popularity contests any time soon," she commented with a passive aggressive eye roll.

"Don't fight with him over me, Steph. It really isn't worth it."

"But he lied to me. He hid the fact that he had a daughter from me. That is wrong on so many levels."

"I know. It's really messed up, but he loves you so much. I know he does. Trust me, he made that quite clear to me. I think he was just afraid that you would leave him or…not want anything to do with me. And I don't think he was ready to decide between his wife and daughter that he never knew. He's trying to do the right thing. He just doesn't know what he's doing."

Stephanie gave her a smile. "So, how are you?" she asked her newfound stepdaughter, changing the subject.

Courtney took the hint and went along with it. "I'm pretty good, actually. Maybe things were messy at one point, but…things are working out really well for me right now. You know? I finally have a family, which is great. I have a job that I really do love. I have Stu, and he's been…well, he's been just…just great."

"How are things going with him? He seems to really be making you happy," Stephanie asked, happy that she could talk to her like this and feel a little more comfortable, now that the air had been cleared.

"Things are really good. We've built a strong relationship, and we're just working on that," she told her with a smile.

"Good. You deserve to be happy. You actually deserve a lot of happiness." Stephanie paused. "I feel really terrible about everything that you've been through. I couldn't sleep last night thinking about everything you told us."

Courtney shrugged. "It's really fine. Trust me, I don't lose too much sleep over it anymore. You shouldn't either. It wasn't all terrible. I've learned a lot."

"But, in order to get to this good place, you had to go through so much. And you're still so young. It's awful."

"You know what? Honestly, it sucked for a long time. But I've managed to grow up a lot in the last few years. I've matured a lot…maybe a little faster than most people my age, but at least I'm mature now. I've recognized the mistakes that I've made in my life. And I've come to accept my past for what it is. So many girls my age make so many stupid mistakes over and over again because they don't know any better. But I'm like fifty steps ahead of them. I know better than to fall for bullshit. Ninety-five percent of all bullshit will not get passed me. I really can't be taken advantage of anymore because I'm a lot smarter than I used to be. While I was in rehab, I went through a lot of therapy, and it really helped me out so much. I've gotten over all of the bullshit in my life. You know? I know who I am and who I want to be. I know where I've been, where I am, and where I want to be. It put my life in perspective. And…it certainly wasn't easy to get this far, but I did it anyway. So…I'm not angry or upset about it anymore. I was at one point, but I'm way passed that now. There's no reason to be. It won't help anything. All I can do is live my life the way I want to and not let the things that I've learned go to waste."

"You're really positive about everything…even after what you've been through. That's something I really admire."

Courtney gave her stepmother an appreciative smile. "My mother taught me to never harbor anger and negative feelings because the only one that it will hurt is you. And I was really angry about my life for a long time. But…as she predicted…it only hurt me. No one else suffered because I was angry and upset. I ended up getting really deep into drugs and becoming a train wreck. That wasn't who I wanted to be. It certainly wasn't who she raised me to be. My mother raised me to be a lot stronger and smarter than that. I put myself into rehab because I didn't want to die, but my therapist helped me to just want to live. She helped me let a lot of it go. I've accepted my past for what it is, and I'm okay now," she explained.

"I really hope that you'll be a part of my daughters' lives. I want them to have that kind of outlook on life."

"Thanks. I hope that I can be a part of your family. I would really like that…and to have little sisters. That would be so great," Courtney told her.

"Good. And I want to have a good relationship with you. I'm not looking to try and replace your mother or anything, but I want to be a stepmom…and even…maybe…a friend to you," Stephanie explained her position.

"I would really like that, Steph."

"Great. Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"How do you feel about people knowing that you're Paul's daughter?" she asked her, curious as to her stance on the issue.

"I mean…that's something I'd prefer to wait on for a little bit. I'm still pretty new here, and I don't want to make it look like Paul's secret daughter gets special treatment or anything…even though, I obviously do," she said, referring to the house and job that she got solely because she was Paul's secret daughter. "I'd rather everyone know the situation, after they've gotten to know me a little bit better than they do now."

"Understandable," Stephanie agreed. "I think we should keep this quiet for now and ease into it…especially while we're all still acclimating to it."

"Yeah. This whole situation is so new to all of us. Before we invited everyone else into our business, we should come into our own and adjust. I don't know what I'm supposed to do or how to handle everything. I'm just taking it day by day. It's easier to do without everyone else knowing and asking questions and spreading rumors and stuff."

Stephanie nodded. "It's a lot different. You've been on your own for so long…"

"Exactly."

"We'll figure it out eventually. But for now, it should be something that we're able to adjust to at our own pace. You're absolutely right."

Courtney smiled. "Yeah. And I really appreciate having you on my side. That means a lot more to me than you might realize."

"Of course. And Paul is here for you, too. And the girls are gonna love having a big sister. They'll be so excited when they meet you."

"It's so weird to have a real family, all of a sudden. It had always been my mother and me. Now, there's you…and Paul…and I have sisters. It's just…it's all so crazy, she said, a genuinely happy smile adorning her face.

"You deserve to have a family. I mean, everyone deserves to have a family, but with everything that you've been through, you really deserve one. You need a strong support system…more than most people do."

"Well, I'm glad that I finally have a chance to know what it's like. I sometimes even forget what it was like to have my mom around…it's been so long."

Stephanie nodded. "It'll be nice to have friend in my immediate family. My girls are great, but they're still so young. I like the idea of having a close family member, who isn't a guy and who doesn't watch cartoons every single day."

Courtney let out a laugh. "It'll be nice to have a woman in my life…who isn't taking her clothes off, too."


	31. Chapter 31

Dominos

Chapter 31

Disclaimer: This is a work of my overactive and fairly strange imagination. And Courtney is my own creation.

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**A/N: Once again, you guys are so friggen great! I'm trying to update his more often because you guys always give me so much love. So, a huge thank you to: nattiebroskette, Mady, DenyingTheTruth, prettycrazytriplehfan, Sonib89, SouthernAndSassy, and maketimetotime. You guys make me so happy. I'm still working on the next chapter. I'm gonna try my best to update before I leave for vacation on Wednesday. In the meantime, please enjoy and let me know what you think! Love you guys lots! XoXoXo**

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Stu had returned to Courtney's house, a little while after Stephanie had left. He had been all too eager to spend some more time with the woman he was in love with, before they headed back out on the road. He felt like things had finally gone in the right direction. He knew the truth about her. He knew her whole story. Everything. It felt like things between them could finally go somewhere. There were no secrets. The mystery of what Courtney was hiding was gone. It felt like things were really going places between the two of them.

Stu had felt so badly for Courtney. She had clearly been through a lot in her life, and she was still young. He could completely understand why she had been so hesitant to tell him her story. After all, who would really want to talk about that kind of stuff, especially with the person that she was in a pseudo-relationship with? Not only that, but Stu could completely understand why she would be afraid that telling him everything would risk his feelings for her changing. But truthfully, he didn't feel any differently, except that now, he was more eager to take care of her. Stu just wanted to help her…and protect her. He never wanted her to have to revisit the life that she had lived for too long. He would do anything, in his power, to make sure that Courtney had the happiest, most fulfilling life that she possibly could, as long as he was in. Hell, even if he wasn't in it, he would still want to make sure that she was as happy as she could be.

"Are you okay, babe?" she asked, noticing that Stu seemed a little distracted.

Stu immediately turned to Courtney and smiled. "Yeah. I'm sorry. I'm just thinking about things, and I'm just really happy that I'm here with you."

She smiled and pressed a kiss to his lips. "We're back on the road tomorrow. Looking forward to that?" she questioned.

"Listen, it doesn't matter to me where in the world I am, just so long as I have you with me, I'm more than happy."

"That's what I like to hear."

Stu pulled Courtney onto his lap. "As long as I have you with me, I'll always be happy. I really don't care where we are or what the circumstances are. All that matters to me is that we're together," he told her.

"You're sweet. I'm happy that I'm with you."

"You couldn't begin to understand it. I've never been so incredibly happy in my life. I love being with you…whether we're here or on the road."

Courtney leaned in, landing another kiss on his lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck. His grasp on her tightened, as their kiss intensified.

"We haven't had sex in a couple of days, you know…" she spoke, her lips still grazing his.

Stu smirked. "I know."

"I really think we should fix that," Courtney suggested. Stu stood up from the couch, picking her up with him. "Oooh," she giggled, not expecting him to pick her up like that.

Stu gave her a look and began walking up the stairs, still holding onto her. "You're sure you wanna do this?" he asked her.

Courtney looked a little confused by his question. "Of course. Why wouldn't I?" she asked, unsure of why he was asking that.

He walked into her bedroom and placed her down on the bed, laying her down with her head on the pillows. Stu laid next to her. She rolled onto her side, facing him.

"Stu?"

"Yeah."

"Is it weird for you to have sex with me now that you know everything?" she questioned him, already having an idea that she was onto something.

"No, babe. It isn't that. I just…" Stu took a deep breath, not wanting to say the wrong thing and upset her. "It's just that I don't want you to feel like you have to sleep with me just to make me happy or something. I really care about you. I don't want you feeling like you have to get into bed with me, in order for me to want to be with you," he explained.

"Stu, if I didn't want to have sex with you, I wouldn't. And I certainly wouldn't sleep with you just to make you like me. I was so desperate to keep my head above water, financially. I wasn't doing all of the things that I did because I wanted people to like me. I knew that would probably make people not like me," she told him. Courtney really couldn't blame Stu for feeling a little awkward about having sex with her. After all, she had laid out all of her dirty laundry for him. She could absolutely understand that it would be weird to sleep with someone that he knew had been seen nearly naked by plenty of people who paid for it.

"Okay," he simply replied.

Courtney gave him a small smile. He turned onto his side to face her and placed a hand on her hip, his fingers grasping it. She brought her hand onto his face, her thumb gently caressing his cheek. She leaned in, bringing their lips together in an affectionate but passionate kiss. He brought his hand that had been resting on her hip around her torso, pulling her body closer to his. She pressed her body against his and brought her hands onto his shoulders and pushed him onto his back. Courtney climbed on top of him, straddling him. His hands found their way back onto her hips. She smiled down at him. Reaching for the hem of her shirt, a seductive playfulness glimmered in her eyes. Courtney pulled her shirt up and over her head. She tossed it aside. She leaned her upper body over his, pressing kisses to his neck.

Stu turned them around, so he was on top of her. He pulled his t-shirt and wife beater off, as quickly as he could, throwing them off to the side. He reached to the button on Courtney's denim shorts. He unbuttoned and unzipped them, before pulling them over her legs and dropping them to the side of the bed with his clothes. Stu stood up and pulled his basketball shorts and boxers off, before climbing back onto the bed with her. His eyes were all too happy to take in the sight before him.

"Ooh looks like someone's excited," Courtney commented.

"What can I say? It's hard to control myself around you," he replied, his smirk mirroring the one on her face. Stu reached onto the waistband of her underwear and pulled them down her legs, tossing them aside. Courtney reached behind her own back and unclasped her bra. She pulled it off and tossed it to the floor. "Eager much?" he questioned.

She nodded. "Very, very eager," she replied.

"Well, then, I would be a fool to make you wait,"" he said, before guiding himself inside of her. Courtney let out a moan of satisfaction. This was exactly what she wanted. She wanted life to go back to normal, after having told Stu about her earlier life. And having sex with him was one way of helping her do that. It made her feel a lot better.

"You feel so good," she groaned, as he stayed fairly still, allowing her to adjust to his size, after a couple of days having not been in this position.

Stu smirked. "So do you, love." His eyes just watched her. He had been kind of afraid to have sex with her, not wanting her to do it or any other reason than wanting to because she cared about him. To him, this wasn't just sex. It was another way for the two of them to connect on an intimate level. He had never thought of sex that way, honestly. But with her, a lot of things were different. In fact, Stu felt like this is the first time he had ever really been with someone. Sure, he'd been involved with plenty of women in the span of his life. But this was on a whole other level than any of that. And what she had gone through was absolutely terrible. He never wanted her to relive any of that, especially not while she was with him.

"You okay?" she asked, noticing that he seemed a little off.

"Yeah, babe. I'm sorry." A smile took over his lips, and Stu began thrusting inside of her, slowly and gently. He laid his upper body down on top of hers, catching her lips in a lustful kiss.

"You make me feel so good," she spoke, he voice low.

"I love you," he told her, his voice genuine.

Courtney smiled. "I love you," she reciprocated. Something just felt right about being with him. She loved being in his arms or having him on top of her. "Stu…" she breathed, feeling blissful with him, as well as completely overwhelmed with pleasure. He always made her entire body feel so good. Every part of her just craved him.

"You're getting me so close, baby," he told her. "You make it hard for me to last long because you're just…you're fucking perfect."

"I don't have a problem with that. Besides, we have a whole day. We can do this all day long, if you want to."

He laughed. "I think I'd pass out."

Courtney smiled and gave him a small kiss on tip of his nose, before bringing her lips to his again. Her arms wrapped around his torso tightly. Her fingertips pressed against the flesh of his back roughly. Their bodies were so tightly pressed together, but it still wasn't close enough for either one of them.

"Baby…" he groaned before he released inside of her, as he nearly lost control of his limbs and did his best to hold his body up on his own.

She pressed her lips against the side of his neck, as he laid on top of her, regaining his strength and composure. The pair was breathing heavily and were covered in sweat. A couple of minutes later, Stu rolled off of Courtney and pulled her against him. Her head rested on his chest, her hand on his stomach. He had an arm wrapped around her affectionately. He placed a small, loving kiss to the top of her head.

"Stu…I hope you know that I really do love you. I've never felt so complete in my life like I do when I'm with you," Courtney told him, her eyes staring down their naked, entangled bodies. He bought his hand to her chin and pulled it up, so she was looking at him.

"I love you. I know that you love me. If you didn't, I don't think you would have said anything about your past to me. But you told me everything. I just want to be with you. You're all that really matters to me anymore."

She smiled, and he brought his lips to hers for a moments, before the two began the rest of their day, cuddling, making love, and napping together. Things were finally coming together for the two of them. They just hoped nothing would be able to come between them, once they got back on the road.


End file.
